IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Hiotographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notaa/Notas  tachniquas  at  bibliographiquaa 


Tha  Inatituta  hat  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  boat 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographically  uniqua, 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagat  in  tha 
reproduction,  or  which  may  aignificantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


0 


a 


n 


Coloured  covert/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covert  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagte 

Covert  rettored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  reataurAe  et/ou  peliiculie 

Cover  title  mitting/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  mapt/ 

Cartet  gAographiquat  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


I      I   Coloured  platet  and/or  illuttrationt/ 


D 


Planchat  et/ou  illuttrationt  en  couleur 


Bound  with  other  meterial/ 
Rail*  avec  d'autret  documentt 


Tight  binding  may  cauta  thadowt  or  dittortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reiiure  terria  peut  cauter  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
dittortion  la  long  da  la  marge  int^rieure 

Blenk  leavet  added  during  rettoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  pottible,  thete 
heve  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  te  peut  que  certainet  paget  blanchat  ajoutAet 
lort  d'une  rettauration  apparaittent  dent  le  texte, 
mait,  lortque  cela  itait  pottible,  cet  paget  n'ont 
pat  «t«  filmAat. 

Additional  commentt:/ 
Commentairet  tupplAmantairat; 


L'Inttitut  a  microfilm^  la  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t4  poaaibla  de  te  procurer.  Let  d6tailt 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  tont  peut-Atre  uniquet  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  imege  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  un« 
modification  dant  la  mAthode  normale  de  fiimage 
tont  indiqute  ci-dettout. 


Tl 
to 


I     I   Coloured  paget/ 


D 


Paget  de  couleur 

Paget  damaged/ 
Paget  endommagtet 

Paget  rettored  and/oi 

Paget  rettaurAet  et/ou  peiliculAet 

Paget  ditcoloured,  ttained  or  foxet 
Paget  d^coior^t.  tachatiet  ou  piquAet 

Paget  detached/ 
Paget  dAtachiat 

Showthrough/ 
Trantparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Qualiti  inAgale  de  I'imprettion 

Includet  tupplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  material  tupplAmantaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  ditponibli 


I — I  Paget  damaged/ 

|~n  Paget  rettored  and/or  laminated/ 

I     I  Paget  ditcoloured,  ttained  or  foxed/ 

I     I  Paget  detached/ 

r~n  Showthrough/ 

I     I  Quality  of  print  variet/ 

|~~|  Includet  tupplementary  material/ 

r~1  Only  edition  available/ 


Tl 

P< 
o1 

fil 


O 
b( 
th 
ti( 
ot 
fil 
ti( 
or 


Jf 
th 
Tl 

wl 

M 
dil 
en 
ba 

rl8 

rei 
m( 


Paget  wholly  or  partially  obtcured  by  errata 
tlipt,  tittuet,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
enture  the  bett  pottible  image/ 
Let  paget  totaiement  ou  partiellement 
obtcurciet  par  un  fauiliet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  At*  fiimAet  h  nouveau  da  fafon  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  pottible. 


Thit  item  it  filmed  at  tha  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  ett  film*  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu*  ci-dettout. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


12X 


lex 


aox 


26X 


aox 


24X 


ax 


32X 


Tha  copy  fllm«d  here  has  baan  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacifications. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covers  ara  filmad 
beginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  ending  on 
tha  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  payo  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ^>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc..  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


L'exemplaira  film*  fut  reproduit  grice  A  la 
gtnArositi  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Las  images  suivantea  ont  4ti  reproduites  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin.  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattet*  de  l'exemplaira  film«,  at  en 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplairas  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimAe  sont  filmAs  en  commen^ant 
par  la  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darniire  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplairas 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commen^ant  par  la 
piamiAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  at  en  terminant  par 
la  derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
darniAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — »>  signifie  "A  SUIVRE ',  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  da  reduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  poi',  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  ciichA,  il  est  film*  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gaucho  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  an  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcossaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

S 

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NATIONAL  DEMOCRATIC 


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TERNS.  THREE  DOLLARS  PER  ANNUM,  PAYABLE  INVARIA|lf  IN  ADVANCE 


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CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Salutatory 1 

Tub  Relation  ov  the  Democbatic  Pabty  to  the  Govebnhemt  of  tub  United 

States.. , 4 

History  op  the  Two  Years'  Amendment  to  Constitution  of  Massachusetts,  &c.  19 

Tub  Outbreak  at  Harper's  Ferry 39 

Tub  San  Juan  Question 47 

James  Buchanan 69 

Tub  Appalachian  Group  of  Indian  Tribes  a  Political  Eleme.«t 74 

The  United  States  Coast  Subtet 78 

Tub  Production  of  Cotton  and  its  Influbncb  on  Modern  Civilization 07 

Invocation 105 

City  or  Washington 10(3 

Quarterly  Synopsis  of  our  Foreign  Commercial  Relations 118 

Alfred  Tennyson 133 

Rifles 144 

British  Novelists 152 

Death  of  Governor  Hamilton 1G5 

Stanwix 179 

On  tub  Probable  Fall  in  the  Value  of  Gold,  &o 184 


tlt'iii 
Biil; 

IM'llI 

(liU'K 

llu' 

F..I- 

as  I 

lor 

tliol't 

1»(.'C11 

tl.c 

iiiiiiii 

bclol 


HMhMM 


"<M 


IS."):).]   ^  '  ■•  ^S     The  San  Juan  (Jursllon. 


tftgit 


4 

19 

39 

47 

69 

74 

78 

97 

105 

10(3 

118 

133 

144 

153 

IGf) 

179 

184 


THE  SAN  JLAX  QUHSTIOX. 

Sixri-:  the  ()r,iL;;mizatioii  oi"  the  FcfUTiil  G.ivci-iiiiiciit,  the  sct- 
llt.'iiK'iil  ()['  lioiiiuliiry  liiii's  Itetwccii  this  (•((imtry  mid  (Jrc-  t 
Britain,  /.('..the  tU'torminiii^'  tlie  rxart  limits  that  srjiarato 
thi;  possL'ssidiis  of  that  ])o\viM'  on  the  Xoi'th  AiiRTivaii  <(iiiti- 
lu'iit  fi'oiii  tliosc  of  thi'  United  Stales,  has  l»i_'en  a  matter  (if 
dillicull  adjiistiuent,  and  has  sometimes  threatened  to  (hstuid* 
the  friendly  rehitions  existing;'  hetween  the  two  cduntrii's. 
Fortunately,  these  didicate  and  a^itatin^'  rpu^stions,  as  often 
as  they  have  aris(Mi,  thoiij^h  their  adjinlieation  has  hern  li(dd, 
lor  a  while,  in  aheyanee,  in  ordei"  tt»  ti'ive  time  for  a  fair  and 
thoroiiiih  investigation  of  contending'  elaims,  have  at  h'lijith 
heeii  settled  in  a  satisfaetory  manner,  and  so  as  to  siihserve 
the  substantial  (^nds  of  riiiiht  and  justice  hetween  the  parties, 
mainly  through  the  instrumentality  of  di|tlomacy.  Sometimes, 
hefore  this  result  has  been  attained,  we  have  laxMi  on  the  very 
verue  of  wai'  with  the  mother  .-ounti'v;  hut  the  discussions  in 
Ccm^ress,  and  those  vhieh  have  taken  place  throuiiih  the  me- 
diiim  of  the  newspape.  |)r(!ss  and  the  (pmrterly  journals,  w  liile 
th('y  have  evinced  the  sensitiveness  of  (»ur  citi/eiis  on  this 
suhj'eet  to  their  I'i^'hts,  and  their  detei'mination  to  maintain 
them,  have  also  demonstrated  their  [»rol'ound  I'cspeci  I'or  the 
force  of  treaty  stipulations,  and  heen  <pialilit'il  hy  ii  cahii.  en- 
li.Lihtened.  and  (hdiheiMte  consideration  of  all  the  matters  in 
dispute. 

In  periods  of  temporary  exasperation,  arisiiijj,-  from  I'eal  ov 
su|i])osed  aLi!.:"ressi()n  on  our  domain.  \\f  have  never  I'oiiiotteu 
the  ori;^'inal  rt-dations  we  sustaini'd  to  the  mother  country  on 
the  ^M'lMMids  of  common  linea.u'e.  common  lan_^•ua,L:•e,  cnmmon 
laws,  and  common  liti'rature,  the  i^'reat  importance  to  our  a;:'ri- 
eultural  and  connnei'cial  interc^sts  of  placin,^'  tlic^  ]»iMnci|>les  of 
a  nnitnal  ^-ood  undei'standin^'  on  inunovalde  ii'rounds,  and  the 
e(pial  necessity  of  maintainin;^  the  di.unily  and  justice  of  our 
own  tdiaracter  as  a  frei'  and  ci\'ili/,cd  people,  possessinjj,-  a 
superior  ;;-overnment  and  lar^'cr  privile.i:'es  than  have  fallen  to 
the  lot  of  nu)st  of  tluMuitions  of  the  earth.  For  a  time,  and  so 
lon^'  as  the  wounds  inllicled  hy  the  wnv  of  the  llevolution.  l»y 
whi(di  we  achi(?ved  our  independence,  wei'e  fresh  and  painful,  wo 
were  in(dined  to  cherish  towards  the  mother  country  fe(  lin^s 
oi'  iutferness  and  alienation,  on  account  o\'  the  ;;"rievous  w  i-on^-s 
We  had  sustained  at  her  hands,  and  to  lui'n  with  ail'ectiim  and 
gratitude  to  France,  who.  with  a  generous  sjjirit.  came  to  aid 


Wfmu 


48 


Tin    S'lii  Jd'lii    OiUs/ioj), 


fX..v., 


US  ill  any  cxtrcnitty,  iuid  lidji  us  to  fi^i'lit  <inr  luittles.  But 
time.  r(Mi('\\c(|  iiitcivoiirsc,  hikI  the  necessities  iuid  adviiiit- 
jiLi'es  of  (•(iiiiinoreo,  liiive  lie;ile<l  those  Wininds.  It  is  true 
lliey  wei'e  (i|iene(l  idVesli  in  our  second  wiir  with  Great  l>i-itaiii; 
l»iit,  ill  l»oth  these  wars,  it  was  at  h'n^th  clearly  seen  that 
the  spirit  of  iiidejieiidi'iic(;  was  a  vital  element  in  the  Ameri- 
can lireast.  —  that  if  we  conld  ri'ceive  Mows,  we  could  return 
them,  and  that  neither  encroachment  on  our  just  ri;ilits, 
nor  a  c()ntem[)tnoiis  disre};'ard  of  our  position  as  mere  ad- 
venturers, and  tho  propa;^'andists  of  a  now  experiment  in 
p;o\einment.  conld  subserve  the  purjioses  of  a  ^reat  and  i)ow- 
crfiil  nation;  that  if  Great  ]>ritain  had  pride.  exi)erii'nce, 
reputation,  and  an  almost  boundless  domain,  the  United  States 
had  popular  liberty,  youth,  vii^or,  manliness,  and  an  inheri- 
tance in  the  solid  continent,  to  which  she  had  vindicated  her 
titl(!  by  the  force  of  arms,  of  far  wider  extent  thaii  her  own; 
that  the  same  do;i,-^-ed  obstinacy,  if  it  should  not  rather  be 
called  the  same  invincible  c<iura,u"e,  that  distiniL;'uished  the 
Eniilishman  in  maintaininjj;  liis  rij^hts  oi"  proi)erty,  had  de- 
scended fn.in  the  sires,  in  the  old  country,  to  their  sf)ns  in  the 
]u>w;  in  a  word,  that  a  removal  to  a  new  country,  possessing*  a 
thousand  additional  stimuli  to  exertion,  had  not  chang-ed  the 
oriii'inal  genius  of  the  Anj^'lo-Saxon  race,  but  that  it  still  ex- 
hibited, in  that  country,  the  same  characteristics  of  love  of 
law.  order,  and  truth,  and  the  same  firnuiess  and  indomitable 
resolution.  That  our  national  character  has  been  essentially 
modified  by  circumstances  and  our  jteculiar  institutions,  in 
■which  the  elements  of  popular  liberty  and  po})ular  power  pre- 
vail, cannot  be  disputed.  Hence,  while  the  policy  ol"  En^'land, 
as  a  <j,'reat  leadin,i;"  power,  is  to  open,  in  every  available  point 
ontlu!  ,iL!;lobe,  markets  for  manufacturinj^'  establishments,  which, 
through  her  steam  machinery,  exercise  a  power  ecpial  to  the 
{ign-fon-ate  manual  power  of  the  human  race,  the  destiny  and 
end  of  our  ;;"overnment  is  the  expansion  of  territory  on  the 
North  American  continent,  Avith  a  view  to  briujj;  to  the  masses 
of  our  citizens  and  to  the  lloatiniii'  pojtulation  of  the  \vorld,  the 
blessin!j;s  of  our  beautiful  confederated  system.  In  the  attain- 
ment of  these  iliverse  objects — on  the  part  of  Enj;'land,  the  in- 
crease and  iiermancnce  of  her  physical  power  and  im])ortance, 
on  the  part  of  the  United  States,  the  extension  and  mainte- 
nance of  jiolitical  riii'hts  and  privileges — the  sanu*  regard  to 
projierty,  to  what  is  mine  and  what  is  thine,  and  the  same  ro- 
s[)ect  to  the  innuutable  princi])les  of  justice  in  deciding  the 
question,  are  now  reg'urded  indispensable  by  both  nations.     It 


all 


Ig^ 


[N 


oV 


185!).] 


7V/(?  8<in  Juan  Question. 


4!) 


Hc's.     But 
1   advaiit- 
Ft   is  true 
it  JJi'itain; 
soi'ii   tliat 
ic  Aiii(-!ii- 
i!<l  rc^tuni 
st   rii^lits, 
mere   ad- 
■iineiit    in 
and  [)()\v- 
cperience, 
ted  States 
\\\  inlieri- 
cated  her 
her  own; 
rathei'  l»e 
ishi.'d   the 
,   liad  dc- 
ons  in  the 
i.ssessin^*  a 
anji'ed  the 
t  still  ex- 
:)f  love  of 
doniitable 
ssentially 
utions.   in 
twer  pre- 
Enj;land, 
d)le  point 
ts,  which, 
nal  to  the 
stiny  and 
ry  on  the 
le  masses 
kvorld,  the 
he  attain- 
d,  the  in- 
)ortanee, 
d  mainte- 
re}j;ard  to 
'  same  ra- 
iding the 
itions.     It 


is  wi'l!  inid»'r.-tiio(l  liy  tin'  niolhcr  CMiinti'y,  that  the  Anicrieaii^. 
like  lliciiisclvcs.  arc  an  iiitcllii:'cnt  and  cxactini:"  iicnplc.  ntnl 
tliat.  ci'iiic  \\Ii;it  may.  tiiry  iifc  dctiM-iiiiiicij.  ;it  all  tiinc-  and  at 
all  (xcnt-.  to  have  their  riii'lits,  tlicir  wlailc  ri,L:'hts.  and  mitli- 
i,!,!^"  luit  tlnir  riiilits— to  secure  tiK'm  peaccaMy.  if  thc\-  can. 
forcild\',  if  tlicv  must:  and.  wlum  .sei'ured,  to  niaintain  them, 
if  necessary.  a,i:Miii<t  Knt;-lanil  and  a,u-ainst  the  world.  This 
attachment  to  riu'lit  and  to  political  and  territorial  ri,^dits.  i-j 
inextinuMiislndile  in  the  hreast  of  every  American  citi/en  who 
j»ro|)erly  understands  his  own  position.  It  is  a  fact  not  to  he 
disputed  in  our  country's  history,  that,  prior  to  and  iVom  the 
declaration  of  inde[)endeiice  to  the  jtresent  hour,  the  reflected 
intelligence  of  our  [)eo|>le  has  directed  and  conti'olled  through- 
out the  ])rop(n'  organization  of  our  i)uhli(';  )>olicv.  Can  tin- 
same  he  said  (d'  any  other  nation  on  the  face  of  the  globe? 
We  think  not. 

It  may  he  jiroi)er.  in  coinu'xiiui  with  the  .snhject  hefor(.'  us. 
to  impiire  how  territory  may  he  acquireil.  Writer.s  on  the 
laws  of  nations  describe  lour  nu-thods,  vi/,:  1st.  bv  trijatv;  2d. 
by  coin[uest;  ."M.  by  discovery ;  ami  dtli.  by  contiguity.  'J'he 
grouml  usually  r(died  on.  ami  which,  together  \\ith  the  right 
by  treaty,  has  more  particular  a|»plic*ation  ti»  the  case  betbre 
us.  is  till!  right  acipiireil  by  discoscry.  This,  however,  is  an 
inchoati'  right,  which  only  beconu's  perfc'ctecl  by  subscfpuuit 
oc,'tipalion,  and  to  entitle  a  party  or  a  nation,  claiming  inider 
this  right,  it  is  necessary  tlnit  the  discovery  shoidd  not  be 
(.•asual  nor  accidental,  hut  that  explorations  shoidd  he  nmler- 
taken  nmler  the  authority  of  the  goverinnent  wliiidi  the 
oxjilorer  represetds,  with  a^  special  view  to  occu[)am'y,  and 
that  not  a  temporary  but  a  piM'maneiit  occupation.  The  mere 
discovery  of  a  coinitry.  even  though  memorials  arid  monu- 
juents  of  the  discovery,  sm-h.  for  instance,  as  in  [\u\  case  of 
Spain,  of  setting  up  a  cross,  or,  in  the  case;  of  JMiglaml,  of 
]»lanting  the  Hriti^h  Hag  on  the  soil  of  the  disco\ere(l  coun- 
try, will  not  invest  the  coinitry  of  the  discoverer  with  any 
I'iglit  of  einiuent  domain  o\'er  it.  without  sid)suqnent  and 
continued  occupation.  The  monument  erected  on  the  spot 
mav  be  notice  to  the  whole  world  of  the  <liscovery  bv  tliat 
nation,  and  of  an  inchoate  right,  but  if,  after  a  reasonable 
time  has  ela[)<ed,  oceupation  does  not  follow,  and  in  the 
meantime  another  party  takes  [)ossession,  not  temj)orarily 
but  permanently,  the  right  of  the  party  who  claims  by  dis- 
covery, \\'itliout  occupation,  is  vacated.  These  are  the  doc- 
trines  laid  down   bv  the  most  authoritative  Avriters  on   the 


HIP 


50 


TltC  San  Jiidn  Ontstlnn. 


[Nov., 


18;V.) 


laws  ol"  nations  wlim  fri'atin.u"  <>ii  this  sMlijcct.  Tlii'V  are 
nniv(M'sall\  rt'Li'ardcd  jiHt  anil  rcasdiialiji'.  and  have  lorniiMJ  tin; 
i:"i'(»niid-\\(irk  and  data  til"  all  di'cisidiis  in  ride  it  net.'  t<i  tlit-  title 
of  nations  to  territory,  clainiiiii:'  umler  tlie  ri;j,dit  of  discovery. 
Jt  is  well  known  tliat  (licat  IJritain,  iVoni  time  iniiiieiiiorial, 
lias.  Tor  piirposes  of  trade  ami  eoinnieree,  l>eeii  aniMtiou.s  to 
extend  her  doinaiii  in  evei'v  direction  that  she  has  deemed 
advaiita.Li'eoiis  to  her  interests;  and  slii-  has,  aecordiiijily.  wher- 
ever she  has  th(»ii^ht  that  she  had  i>laiisildc  ^'rounds  lor  so 
doin;^',  set  up  claims  to  larj:e  jiortions  of  the  North  Aiiiericiui 
continent,  j)articiilarly  on  its  northwestern  iVontier,  on  the 
ground  of  the  ri^ht  resulting'  from  discovery,  and  has  prose- 
cuted these  claims  in  Parliament  ami  through  tlu'  i)ress,  and 
liy  means  of  diplomacy,  with  a  jn-rtinaeity  execedin;^ly  credit- 
aide  to  her  ambition  and  desire  ttf  national  ag<:ranili/.eiiu'nt, 
but  relli'ctin,!;'  h'ss  credit  on  her  sense  of  national  justice,  and 
on  w  hat  was  due  to  her  own  reputation  and  to  the  common  un- 
derstand in,:;'  of  all  civilized  nations,  i)articularly  of  those  to  bo 
adected  by  her  jiolitic;  claims  and  lar,i;'e  pretensions.  If  sho 
has  understood  the  right  (»f  diseovery  at  all,  her  perceptions 
of  it  have  been  very  glimmoring,  imperfect,  Jind  shadowy,  but 
she  has  sei/,ed  on  the  shadow  as  a  shield  of  large  i)ro[)ortions, 
and  as  im])eiietrablc  liy  the  weapons  of  assailants.  In  this 
comdusion  ■'"  ••■'ilit,  to  which  she  has  arrived  by  a  short  cut 
and  with  a  nt  air,  she  has  singularly  misappreheiuled  the 

common  .-<  ..>  »»f  mankind,  anil  the  degree  of  inttdligeiu.'e  of 
the  citizi'iis  of  the  United  States,  who,  like  Englishim-n,  have 
a  kemi  eye  to  tliidr  own  interests,  and  who,  however  long 
their  slumbers  when  nature  recpiires  repose,  will  never  bo 
ibiind  sleejiing  on  their  rights.  Jt  is  a  little  singular  that,  with 
the  facts  a. el  knowledge  before  her,  and  staring  lier  broadly  in 
the  face,  she  should  not  have  seen,  or  seeing  should  not  have 
acknowledged,  the  priov  claims  of  Spain  and  Portugal  to  all 
those  countries  to  which  she  set  ii[)  a  title  of  eminent  domain 
on  the  ground  of  discovery,  and  that  in  one  instance,  and  that 
one  of  no  slight  moment,  she  should  tt)tally  have  ignored  or 
singularly  misi'e|»r(.!sented  the  prior  right  of  our  o\Nn  country, 
resulting  from  the  discovery  and  navigation  of  the  river 
Columbia  by  one  of  our  own  citi/eiis.  There  has  ever  been 
an  incomprehensible  and,  we  fear  we  must  add,  discreditable 
disposition  manifested  on  the  [>art  of  Great  IJritain,  as  far  as 
contested  claims  for  territory  in  this  country  are  concerned, 
to  warp  established  principles  to  the  side  of  her  own  interests, 
to  resist,  if  possible,  the  force  of  acknowledged  facts,  to  set 


XdV., 


IS.VJ.J 


The  San  Juan  Qnestini. 


51 


'I'liry    an.' 

onin.'(l  the 

lo  till-  title 

(lisccivcrv. 

iiiieiiKiriiil, 

iliitious  to 

IS  (li'eiiK'd 

;:ly.  wlier- 

iids  lor  so 

AiiK'i'icaii 

■r,    oil   the 

has  pi'ose- 

j)i('ss,  and 

;^'ly  ci'diit- 

idi/cinent, 

istire,  and 

)niiiioii  im- 

hose  to  1)0 

s.      If  she 

erce[)ti()us 

idow  V.  hut 

■(•portions, 

.      Ill  this 

short  cut 

ended  the 

lli)j;i.'nce  of 

iiicii,  have 

ever  lon<^" 

never  be 

that,  with 

hroadly  in 

1  not  have 

li^al  to  all 

nt  domain 

,  and  that 

.U'liored  or 

1  country, 

the   river 

ever  been 

creditable 

,  as  far  as 

onceriied, 

intei'ests, 

ets,  to  set 


n]t  an<l  maintain  tirtitions  an<l  unfonndcd  clainis.  a-;  il'  thcv 
were  r<'al  and  iiii))nsini:'  by  llifir  res|n'ctability,  and  w  hi'ii 
thc-c  rjainis  havr  Imm-ii  |)la<M'd  in  issue  liy  her  \ain  ciiiii|ilainls 
aiiij  claiiioroiis  di'iiianiU.  to  substitute  soji|ii>try  anil  Iiravado 
Ibr  ]io>itive  and  unanswcrabh."  demonstrations. 

If  is  w  ell  known  fn  tin^sc  who  are  ac(juainted  with  our  i-ai'lirr 
annals,  that   the  jjrst   successful    exjtlorations  of  Christopher 
Columbus,  prosecuted  umler  the  patrona;^'e  and  by  the  aid  <tf 
Spain,  imparted  a  j)owerfiil   impulse  to  the  spirit  of  <liscovery 
anion;.:'  that  ambitious  and  iina;:Mnativt'  peo|ilc.  which  numerous 
enterprises  of  a   similar  kind,    crowned   with   happy   results, 
gradually  fostered  until   it  became  not  only  a   iiatienal  trait, 
but  a  dominant  ))assion.      The  bold  and  calculatin;j:  adventui'er 
i'oinid   it  dillicult,  doubtless,  at   lirst.  to  obtain   a   heariiiLi'  for 
his  astdundin;^'  proposition,  and   still   more  dinicult.  when  this 
])oint  was  attained,  to  secure  the  co-oj)eration  and  aid  neces- 
sary tor  the  ])rosecntion  of  what  was   reti-nrded  by  most   per- 
sons as  a  wild  and   fanciful   project.      Jiut  when  the  iiifijenious 
dreamer  ful.'illed,  to  the  very  letter,  his  brilliant  and  incredible 
]ii'ophecies,and  carried  back  to  Spain  the  startling"  intelli.iiX'nce  of 
bis  actual  discovci'y  of  a  new  worM.  of  immense  resources  and 
incalculable  beauty  and  sublimity,  the  livinu"  [>ictui-e  he  drew 
"Went  home  to  the  itnpnlar  heart  with  irresistilile  force. awaken- 
injj;a  spirit  of  adventure  that  i"ose  to  enthusiasm,  and  which,  after 
the  ast(»nisliment  pro<lnced  by  the  lirst  announcement  beji'an  to 
subside,    led    tt)  a   successiim  of  exphiratious  of  the  most   re- 
markable character,  which  eovereil   the   history  of  Spain  with 
undyin,ir  renown,  and  secured   Ibr  her,  in  solid  discoveries,  a 
richer  and  more  exteiisiv(>  fhainiin  (in  adilitioii  to  her  other  po.s- 
sessions)  than  was  at  that  time  possessed  l>y  any  other  civilized 
nation.      While  otlii'i"  ^'overnmeiits  were  asleep   to  the  ii'reat 
Vocation  i){  the  au'e— the  pi-osecation  u|"  discoveries  in  the  no 
louixer  fabulous  i-e!.;-i()n  of  the  Xew  Worlil — she  was  fully  alive 
to  this  novel   source  of  interest   and    national   Lrrainleur;   the 
first  to  rouse  np   her  in\incible  ener^'ies  lur   the  execution   of 
tlu!  inspiriii;^'  task",  animated  by  the  prospect,  in  the  distance, 
of  the    ])reci(iiis   mines    whose    exhaustlcss    treasuri's    she    in- 
tended u»  di^Jcmbowel  froni  the  bosom  of  the  earth  to  increase 
her  wealth,  and  of  the  ii'oMen    harvests  of  all   kinds,  in    that 
fertile  s(nl.  which  -lu'  ex|)ect(Ml  to  r«'a]i  by  her  industry.     Yes! 
Fpain  has  had  her  ^I'reat  anil  Li'lorions  au'e.     It  was  the  aii'e  that 
succ(H'ded  the  discovery  of  Ameriea    by   Cobniibus.    .and.  for 
somi.'   hundreds  ^^'(  years   afterwards,    animated   by   the   same 
courageous  and  intrepid  spirit   that  ,!Ji,lowed  in  his  bosom,  she 


mmmmm 


fi-J 


The  S<nt  Juan  (J'/csflnii. 


fXov..      1^.V.> 


i'ollowfd  ill  liis  wiikc.  jiddiiii:',  l>v  licr  ciitcrpri/.t'  ini'l  iiMli>iiiit- 
jililc  pcrscvcriiiicc,  li-rritoiy  to  tcrritorv.  siiwl  claimin.Li"  all  iimlt  r 
a  tillr  innrt-'  Liloiious  than  that  ol"  any  cMiKiUfst  or  ofaiiy  treaty. 
Ainci'ica  ^hoiiM  iicvi'i'  lor.u'ct  the  oltliiiatioiis  she  is  uiulcr  to 
Spaiii.  'I'o  htn*  \\v  areiiHh'htod,  this  iiiomeiit,  lor  a  country  in 
some  respects  the  most  lavored  l>y  l*rovi<lenco  of"  any  on  which 
the  sun  ever  shone.  To  her  we  are  indebted  lor  our  lainily 
^ods  and  our  fireside  altars;  and  although  she  has  past  her 
prime  in  the  iiistory  ot"  nations,  and  has  probably  not  kept 
pace  with  most  of  the  improvements  of  modern  civilization, 
and  may  be  saitl  to  be  actually  in  a  state  of  decadence,  com- 
]tared  witii  the  ;j;reen  old  ivj:e  of  some  of  her  sister  nations, 
she  still  retains  much  of  her  ancient  grandeur;  exhibits, 
now  and  then,  lively  manifestations  of  the  pristine  lire  that 
warmed  and  illuminated  her  path  and  shed  a  blaze  of  light 
all  around  her;  and  whatever  else  may  ha])pen — if  anything 
ever  shall  occur — to  restore  her  to  the  front  rank  which,  in 
certain  respects,  she  once  occu[)ied  among  the  nations  of  the 
earth,  she  will  never  outlive  her  primeval  renown,  but  will 
enjoy  it  to  the  end,  as  a  g:lorious  iidieritaiice  for  herself  and  her 
childi'en.  If  we  shall  ever,  unfortunately,  have  to  contend 
with  her — a  necessitv  which  miv\"  ])ossiblv  arise  at  some  future 

»  (la 

day  in  the  cours(i  of  events — let  us  not  forget  her  merits,  nor 
our  own  great  obligations  to  her.  For  one  characteristic  we 
may  extend  to  her  a  hearty  meed  of  [>raise  and  a  flattering- 
recognition,  in  this  matter  of  discovery,  which  we  may  justly 
withhold  from  other  countries.  When  she;  had  the  means  and 
the  opportunity,  she  was  no  laggard  and  no  triller  in  the  ])ro- 
gress  of  discovery,  but  went  into  it  seri(nisly,  earnestly,  and 
with  a  delinite  aim  before  her,  and  that  aim  was  occui)atiou 
and  use  of  the  territories  she  explored,  whereby  she  acquired 
the  best  of  all  titles  to  their  valid  ami  indisputable  ])ossession. 
Will  any  one  at  this  day  deny,  in  resjiect  to  our  northwestern 
frontier,  that  that  country,  ])rior  to  any  other  nation,  not  only 
discovered  but  took  possession  of  the  whole  coast,  and  exer- 
cised over  it  every  right  of  sovereignty  that  sovereign  States 
do  and  of  right  ought  to  exercise  over  the  countries  they  con- 
quer, discover,  or  come  into  possession  of  by  force  of  treaty, 
])urchase,  or  otherwise?  The  fact  cannot,  in  truth,  l.te  con- 
troverted. These  explorers  set  up  crosses,  performed  masses, 
(for  they  were  Catholics.)  and  declared  in  the  name  of  their 
sovereign,  under  whose  autliority  they  acted,  and  to  whom 
they  owed  their  allegiance,  that  they  formally  took  possession 
of  the  country  ;  and  they  were  not  like  many  discoverers  of  a 


M 


fXt.v..      is.')!). 


The  Sun  'Jiiiiii  (Jiii'.s/ii)ii. 


.V3 


iii'l  iiidomit- 
iii.Li"  all  nmlcr 

any  treaty. 

s  iiiultT  to 
a  country  in 
ny  on  wliich 
V  our  lainily 
if>   past  her 
ly  not  kept 
civilization, 
iloncc,  coul- 
ter nations. 
';    exhibits, 
lie  tire  that 
iize  of  lifi'ht 

f  anythin<i- 
k  wliich,  in 
ions  of  the 
n,  hut  will 
■'eir  and  her 
to  c(>nten<l 
onie  I'uture 
merits,  nor 
?teristic  we 
a  flatterinii; 
may  justly 
means  and 
in  the  j)r()- 
nestly,  and 
occupation 
le  acrpiircd 
possession, 
rthwestern 
n,  not  only 

and  exer- 
ji^'u  States 
4  they  con- 
ot'  treaty, 
h,  l>e  con- 
ed masses, 
le  of  their 
.  to  whom 
possession 
rerers  of  a 


more  lioi'sfful  charartrr.  who  afterward-'  oldy  ralue  and  saw. 
liiit  tlii'v  actually  ciMHiuertMl  tie  soil  hy  rntcriu"::  into  tlu;  con- 
tinued occupation  of  it,  Ituildiii;^:  up  sctllcMniits.  pcoplin^r  thfiu 
with  inhahitants.  and  resistin;^  the  pretentious  titles  of  all  sui>- 
sc(pu'nt  claimants,  as  a^xj^'ressors  on  their  IcLiitimatcdy  ac(piircil 
dttmain.  All  honor  to  Ferrido,  who,  as  i-arly  as  1 ')4.'{.  at  the 
licad  of  an  t'Xpeditiou  fitteil  out  by  the  authority  of  tht"  Spanish 
j^overmuout,  cxjilort'd  the  coast  as  far  as  the  forty-third 
deuree  of  latitude.  Let  us  put  a  mark  at  his  name — a  name 
meniorahle  as  that  of  Corvantes,  thou^ih  lor  a  very  dill'ereiit 
cause — liy  which  he  will  he  known  through  all  future  time. 
All  honor  to  Juan  de  Fuca.  who,  in  loicj.  discovereil  the  straits 
whii'h  now  l)(>ar  his  nairu',  and  whose  umpiestionaldt^  ri,t;ht  to 
this  distinction  .-iKJuld  not  he  denied  l)y  the  iJritish  govern- 
ment or  her  minisrers,  since  it  is  attested  in  the  fullest  maunei" 
l>y  the  very  hiii'h  authority  of  the  lion<lon  (Quarterly  Itevii  w, 
in  an  article  pui>lished  in  ISKI  in  that  work,  the  lead:;,'.; 
])olitical  oriz'an  oi  the  Tory  and  Jli^^h  (Jhurch  party  of  En^'aiid. 
We  may  put  a  mark  also  of  distin,Li'uislied  c(»nsideration  fo 
the  name  of  .luan  dc  Fuca.  althou^'"h  the  straits  he  discovered 
may  serve  cipially  v.  '11  to  pi'r|)etuate  his  mem(n'v.  Next  in 
the  list  of  wo'-thy  Sj^anish  expl(»re;s  of  whom  we  are  hound 
to  make  favorable  mention,  and  which  we  do  ])artly  by  way 
of  ari;'ument,  is  that  of  \'iscaino.  wlio.  in  the  expeditions  he 
undertook  in  Hid.'),  explored  tln.^  northw(\stern  coast  only  up 
to  the  ]ioint  reached  by  his  ])redecessor  Fcrrelo,  and  who.  it 
is  said,  then  returneil  to  .Madrid  for  the  pur])ose  of  oldainini::; 
authorit\  from  his  p;overnnient  to  <lo  w  liat.  so  far  as  aj)pears, 
Ferrcdo  had  not  done  to  n'uder  the  Sjianish  tith'  perfect  as 
anainst  all  subseqmuit  claimants,  vi/, :  t<i  establish  settlements 
and  u'arrisons  upon  the  territory.  Having:"  obtaini'd  this  au- 
thority, he  returned:  but,  unfortunately,  betbre  the  realization 
(tf  his  exjK'ctations  of  a  permanent  home  in  the  new  world,  ho 
di<'d  in  IHOS.  \  loii,^'  period  of  intestine  troubles  succeeded 
in  Spain  these  earlier  elforts  to  extend  her  soverei^'uty  in 
Niu'th  America:  but  after  the  ])eaee  of  iTtl.'b  she  returne(l 
with  renewne(l  ent'i'i^'v  to  the  eiiterprisi;  of  consolidatiiiir  her 
possessions  already  diseovere<l.  which  from  l(i(l.">  to  1774  lia<l 
not  I'cen  called  in  (juestioii  by  any  other  power,  audofmikiiii^ 
further  explorations.  For  thi>,  purpose,  we  are  infoi-med,  a 
distinct  department.  calliMl  the  marine  department  of  San  I  Mas, 
Avas  established  in  Mexico,  wlijcli  was  "•especially  chai\v;e(l 
with  discoveruiL:'.  explor'nii'.  and  takiiii:'  pos.session  of  the  terri- 
torv  on  the  northwest  coast.'"  evinciiu'  her  settled  detei'iuii  a- 


■■*■■■■«■ 


Mta 


64 


The  San  Juan  Question. 


Nov..    IS')'.). 


tion  to  maintain  lior  rights  in  and  over  the  whole  countrv. 
Under  this  new  regime,  in  1774,  Perez  undertook  a  voyage. 
ex|)loring  the  coast,  until  lie  at  length  reached  Xootka  bay  a< 
higli  as  latitude  'ifty-fbur  degrees.  Heceta,  another  explorer, 
made  land  tlie  next  year  at  fifty  degrees  of  latitude,  and  on 
his  return  is  said  to  have  discovered,  though  he  did  not  entei'. 
the  Columbia  river.  Quadra  reached  fifty  degrees,  and  on 
his  return  explored  between  forty-five  degrees  and  forty-two 
degrees.  The  last  name  upon  the  list  of  those  distinguished 
Spanish  explorers,  is  that  of  Martinez,  who  in  1787,  a  few  year.< 
alter  the  conclusion  of  the  Avar  of  the  American  revolution, 
under  the  authority  of  his  government,  headed  an  expedition 
with  a  view  to  ascertain  the  character  of  certain  Russian  set- 
tlements then  in  the  process  of  being  made  near  Prince  Wil- 
liams sound,  at  about  latitude  sixty  degrees,  and  which  Spain, 
upon  the  representations  of  Martinez  that  they  were  within 
the  ascertained  limits  of  her  discoveries,  represented  as  an 
cncii*achment,  and  made  the  subject  of  a  remonstrance  to  the 
Empress  of  Russia,  who  acknowledged  its  justice;  but  ^lar- 
tinez,  notwithstanding  her  distinct  disavowal  of  any  design  to 
encroach  upon  any  part  of  Spanish  America,  learning  that  two 
Russian  ships  had  been  fitted  out  and  v/cre  on  their  way  to 
Nootka.  prosecuted  his  voyage  thither,  took  actual  possession 
by  establishing  a  settlement  and  erecting  a  fortification,  and 
seized  and  condemned  tlie  vessels  of  Mearez,  a  sohlisani 
Englishman,  who  had  reached  the  sound,  sailing  in  Portuguese 
ships  under  Portuguese  colors,  an  act  regarded  by  the  British 
government  as  one  of  a  rather  high-handed  cliaracter,  and 
which  subsequently  led  to  the  celebrated  Nootka  convention, 
to  which,  as  it  was  influential  in  settling  British  claims,  we 
may  have  occasion  hereafter  more  particularly  to  advert. 

It  would  seem  that  Great  Britain,  ever  animated  by  a  liveh" 
regard  to  her  own  interests,  but  who  was  certainly  antici[)ated 
in  these  western  explorations  by  the  kingdom  of  Spain,  did, 
with  the  i)rogress  of  the  discussions  instituted  with  a  view  to 
the  settlement  of  her  claims,  gradually  abandon  any  title 
resting  on  the  ground  of  first  discovery,  to  which  abandon- 
ment she  was  reluctantly  compelled  to  submit  by  the  accumu- 
lation of  proofs  incontestably  establishing  the  contrary  fact; 
and  al'terwards,  with  a  sagacity  that  did  more  credit  to  her 
inventive  spirit  than  to  her  knowledge  of  the  principles  ol' 
international  law  governing  such  (juestions,  or  to  her  honesty 
in  the  recognition  of  them,  Avas  dispt)sed  to  rest  her  claims  to 
certain  attractive  and  highly  convenient  and  useful  regions, 


lying 

tin'Mi 

in  a  \ 

thron 

cedtM 

the  <i 

on  tlu 

emini 

and 

Avas 

them 

and  (■ 

prot'n 

their 

Aver(* 

hei 

ncqui 

if  no 

right 

not  a 

bette 

the  e 

tjuest 

otf  C( 

ined'i 

Brita 

tinsi-n 

Lad 


MMiM 


fXov..    1850.1 


The  San  Jitan  Question. 


55 


lole  country. 
)k  ;i  voyag-o. 
ootka  bay  as 
ler  explorer, 
tilde,  and  on 
id  not  enter. 
I'ces,  and  on 
nd  forty -two 
istin^ui^slled 
,  a  feu- years 
revolution, 
n  expedition 
Russian  sot- 
Prince  Wil- 
^hich  Spain, 
were  within 
ented  as  an 
ranee  to  the 
;  but  Mar- 
wy  desi^'n  tt> 
in^  that  two 
their  way  to 
d  possession 
ication,  and 
a  mldisanf 

I  Portu^'uese 
the  British 

iracter,   and 
convention, 

claims,  we 
id  vert. 

by  a  lively 
anticipated 
Spain,  did, 
h  a  view  to 

II  any  title 
li  abandon- 
he  accuniu- 
itrary  fact; 
-'dit  to  her 
incij)les  of 
ler  honesty 
sr  claims  to 
id  regions, 


lyinu'  nn  the  northwestern  frontier  of  the  Xorth  American  con- 
tinent, on  tlie  ground,  not  ol"  a  first,  but  a  more  per/ed  discovery: 
in  a  word,  she  did  not,  wlien  she  liad  found  thein  out,  either 
tlirougli  her  own  enterprise,  or  that  of  others  who  had  pre- 
ceded her  and  opened  the  ]»ath  for  her  ai)[)roaeh.  compiering 
the  dangers,  removing  the  dillicidtios,  and  ultimately  rushing 
on  the  prize,  gaze  on  these  desiral»lc  spots  in  the  New  World — 
eminently  desirable  for  th"  extension  of  her  trade,  navigation, 
and  «onin)erce — witlia  casual  and  indillercMit glance,  as  if  there 
was  ''no  speculation  in  her  eyes"  and  no  hope,  but  looked  at 
tliem  on  all  sides  for  a  long  time  with  an  earnest,  searching, 
and  curious  scrutiny,  examining  and  considering  intently,  uay 
profoundly,  all  the  possible  advantages  likely  to  result  from 
their  acquisition,  coming  at  length  to  the  conclusion,  that  they 
■were  woi'th  something,  nay,  worth  much,  for  the  ])romotion  of 
her  ulterior  designs,  and  that  she  Avould  claim  them  all,  and 
a(Npiire  possession  of  them  all,  if  she  could  in  fee  simple,  and, 
if  not,  tlien  as  perfect  a  ])Ossessiou  as  she  could  acquire  in 
right  ()f  a  more  perfect  discovery.  ]5ut  why,  she  asked,  is 
not  a  subsequent  discovery,  if  it  is  more  perfect  than  the  first, 
better  than  the  first,  and  of  at  least  equal  force  in  investing 
the  country  of  the  discoverer  with  the  indefeasilde  and  un- 
(pu'stionable  right  of  eminent  domain  over  any  s])ot  in  a  far 
off  country  that  has  been  curiously  and  industriously  exam- 
ined? The  ipiery  was  pro])ounded,  and  the  statesmen  of  Gr(vit 
Britain — a  country  that,  through  all  past  time,  has  been  dis- 
tinguished less  for  the  geinus  of  invention  than  improvement — 
Lad  the  honor  on  this  o(.-casion  of  starting  a  new  idea  so  in- 
genious and  unexpected  that  it  amounb'd  to  a  pi'oblein.  But 
fortunately  for  the  world,  less  fortunately  for  the  pride  of 
originality,  which  sometimes  beats  wildly  in  lireasts  soaring 
after  im[)racticable  novelties,  the  problem  was  one  of  easy 
8oluti(*n,  and  was  readilv  solved  bv  oiuMiini:'  anv  accredited 
book,  the  first  that  cnme  to  hand,  on  the  law  of  nations,  \vhere 
tlu>  doctrine  was  clearly  laid  down  that  [trior  discovery,  if 
followed  lip  by  oceii|)a<^'on,  and  the  exei-cise  (^f  unquestionable 
acts  of  ownershi[i,  givi .  tlu^  party  that  has  made  Ihe  discovery 
the  ri^ht  of  ]ios,s(\ssioi  .  and  the  right  to  maintain  it  in  per- 
petuity aii'ainst  all  advei'se  claimants.  The  right,  then,  rest- 
ing on  the  groun<l  of  *f  more  pcr/'cct  discovery,  though  the 
etalesmen  and  dijjlomats  of  tin*  mother  country  may  undoubt- 
edly lay  claim  to  all  the  ci'edit  of  originality  ]ti'o[>erl\-  belong- 
ing to  the  announcement  of  so  unusual  a  pi'ojxisilion,  is 
chimeiiea!  and  fanciful,  and  rests  on  no  authoritative  grounds. 


«to 


immm^m 


56 


The  San  Juan  Question. 


[Nov.1859.] 


Still,  it  may  be  interesting,   as  Ave  are  now  embarked  in  :joverv 
diseussion    rendered   important  l>y  recent  circumstances,   ti^yjj(^j,[  , 
in<inire  whether  Great  Jiritain  could  justly  set  up  this  claii;^p  j^j.^, 
on  any  grounds — in  other  words,  whether  she  was  fairly  eii-jf  ^^\^^^ 
titled  to  the  merit  of  llie  more  2^(^ife('f  discuucnj  which  sliij^gay^^ 
claimed?     An  incjuisition  into  the  real  facts  of  the  case  wil^g^^y    .^, 
show  tliat  in   this  instance  she  Avas  a  mere  pretender,  ain^^jgfj.^ 
that  the  discoveries  she  made  on  our  northwestern  coast,  an(^.iy^.j._ 
of  which  she  boasts,  were  not  oidy  not  more  perfect  than  tliosi     j^  ^yi 
of  other  enterprising'  explorers,  but  were  far  less  so.     Let  u.-v^n^jinri 
turn  to  the  history  of  the  explorations  she  made  for  the  pui'i^Q  ^^^^]^^^ 
pose  of  discovery,  or  for  any  other  purpose,  promotive  of  he:Qj..iy 
aims  and  interests.     These  explorations  stand  in  the  followinj;Qjj.j,".ts 
order:  Sir  Francis  Drake  commenced  them  by  visiting  the  Pacifuj^jg  y(^.^ 
in  1578.     After  a  lapse  of  two  centuries,   in  1778,    Captaii,a(j(|iti,) 
Cook,  the  great  circumnavigator,  in  the  course  of  his  voyagifor  the 
touched  at  Cape  Flattery,  near  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  and  aiim^n  in 
chored  in   Nootka.      The  very  same  year,   JSleares,    claim inL;^iirjt    C 
to  be  an  Englishman — a  fact  rendered  questionable    by  hi>ag  ]ie  yi 
name — but  sailing  under  Portuguese  colors,  as  we  have  befon  of  Van 
stated,  sent  a  boat  into  ihc  Straits  of  Fuca,  but  did  not  entei df^ims 
them.     Vancouver  visted  the  coast  in  1792,  and  MackenzitThe  pr 
discovered  the    headwaters  of  Frazer's   river  in   1793.      So      As  ti 
much  for  British   explorations  on   the   northwestern  coast  ot'been  c 
North    America.     But,  were  the   discoveries   resulting   from  Prazer' 
these  voyages  more  perfect  than  those  of  preceding  naviga-  the  aui 
tors  who  had  touched  at  the  same  points?     Tliat  is  the  ques- that  hi 
tion.       It   appears  that,  of  these    explorers,  Vancouver   and  the  riv 
Captain  Cook  were  the  only  ones  Avho  acted  under  the  an-  may  ni 
thority  of  the  British  government.     All  the  rest  Avere  adven-  mouth 
turers.     Drake  was  a  mere  buccaneer;  ^lackenzie,  an  Indian  been  d 
trader;  and   Meares,    a  land  speculator  and   dealer  in   furs,  a  perl' 
They  did  not  represent  their  government;  iiiid  their  discove-  subset] 
ries,  if  they  made  any,  Avero  purely  accidental.     Most  of  the       Anv 
places  they  i)retended  to  find  had  been  discovered   by  the  grount 
Spaniards  long  before  they  reached  the  coast.      Meares,  the  once  \ 
Portuguese  .r^uniggler  and  captain,   "  cruis<,^d  along  the  north-  entirel 
Avest  passage  Avhere  the  Columbia  enters  the  occsui  by  aniouth  and  n 
seven  mill's  wide,''  but,   strange  to  say,  he  did  not  see  the  discov 
river,  and  ridiculed  the  idea  that  the  Spaniards  had  disi'overed  Ferrel 
any  )-iv(.'i"  then'.     In  a  si)irit of  vaunting  and  imagined  triunii)h,   and   r 
he  i'alled  the  biiy  "  .I)ece[)tion,"  and  one  of  the  i-aju's  at  the    secon* 
mouth  oi' the  rivei-,  "  I)isa[)i)()intnient."     There  is  no  eviilence,    made 
llien,  in  the  case  of  Meai'cs,  that  he  made  a  more  perfect  dis'    of  nat 


C^ov.igso.] 


TJie  San  Juan  Question. 


57 


'I  ^^  jovcry  than  his  predecessors  Ileceta  and  Gray,  tlie  latter  of 

nistances    t^^jj^j^^  ^^^-^^  ^^^^]y  discovered  the  mouths  of  tlie  river,  but  sailed 

up  t  lis  elauijp  its -waters  twentv  mih's,  calling  it  Colunibia,  after  the  name 

yas  tiur  y  oii^f  ^j^^,  trading  shi^)  in  wliidi  he  sailed— a  name  which  it  still 

7/  uiiich  ^li'|3ears.     Tin's  was  something  like  a   valid  disc(»very,  valid  in 

the  case  wilj^^^^,^  ,^,„j  entitling  the  nation  of  the  discoverer,   the  United 

retender,  an^^^gtes,  to  the  whole  extended  tract  of  count rv  drained  by  the 

:'rn  coast   an,,i^,.,, 

Lictthantliosi  it  ^vill  be  admitted  that  Vancouver,  acting  under  British 
'^f'^'+i  ^'■'tiuthoritv,  made  a  tolerablv  accurate  survcv  of  the  coast,  but 

lor  the  pur-tc.  vvhoni  was  he  indebted  "lor  that  accuracy?     To  Perc/  and 

'A*^  '/-^ii      :'*^''Q-ray,  \\iio  had   preceded  him  in  the  ex})loration,  and  whose 

'^       '^^'^^  Vl^charts  of  the  coast  wore  placed  in  his  hands  to  guide  him  in 

Hr^r,   ^^  hie   researclies.      It  is   not  ])retended  that   he   ac(|uii'cd  anv 

.!y.  I'^^^^^'additional  information  or  made  any  new  territorial  disclosures 
>    ills  voyagifQj.  tho  benejit  of  mankind  in  general  or  of  his  own  ccunitry- 

uca,  jind  an-mgn  i,,  particular.  Indeed,  like  Mcares,  he  ridiculed  the  idea 
ics,  ^h'lnnnp^jjjjt,  Captain  Gray  had  made  any  such  discovery  of  a  river 
lable  hy  his^s  jie  pretended  to  have  done.  How  can  it  be  atlirmed,  then, 
j  have  beforcof  Vancouver  that  he  gave   any  additional  force   to  British 

lu  not  enter cijtiijis,  in  consequence  of  more  itcrfai  discovcnj  of  the  coast? 

17o'>   '"^'i'The  pretension  is  idle. 
1    liJo.      ho      \^  to  Mackenzie,  '' the  straggling  Indiiin  trader,*'  as  he  has 
item  coast  oli3e(3,^  called,  and  who  accidentally  struck  the  headwaters  of 
suiting   ii'onipi..,-,,_.,.'s  river,  it  is  not  i)ret(;ndcd  that   he  was  acting  under 
:l|ng  luiviga- the  authority  of  the  British  government,  or,  if  he  had  been, 

IS  the  ques- that  he  made  the  discovery  of  any  new  region:  for  although 
icouver  and  the  river  which  he  traced  for  a  distain.'e  ot*  two  hundred  miles, 
iiuer  the  au-  may  never  have  been  seen  before,  tho  whole  country,  from  its 
Avere  adven-  mouth  to  the  point  of  coast  where  he  reached  tin;  Pat'ilic,  had 
y  '"\  -tiidiaii  been  discovered  and  explored  long  before  his  day,  and  with 
.  y.'  ^'''"•'^*  a  peric!(;tion  and  accursicy  that  i»recluded  tlu>  claims  of  any 
leir  discove-  subsequent  disc-overor. 

iMost  or  tho  _^j)y  claim  which  the  i>ritish  government  niigiit  set  u])  on  tho 
Tcd  liy  the  ground  of  the  discoveries  made  hv  Sir  Francis  Drake,  though 
iueares,  the  once  ])refi.'rred  as  entitliMl  to  consideration,  hiis  of  late  been 
;  the  north-  entirely  al>andoned,  or,  if  not  abandoned,  has  heen  disjtroved 

l»y  a  mouth  and  utterly  disc(uintenaneed  (ju  two  grounds:  lirst,  that  the 
not  see  the  discoveries  of  Draki;  were  antii-iitatinl  at  least  thirty  \ears  bv 
I  (iist'overed  Ferri'lo,  acting  under  tho  authority  of  the  S[ianish  govermnent, 
ed  triunq)li,  and  rendcreij  null  and  \oid  by  aetiial  pr''-o(.'cupatioii :  and, 
•ai)cs  at  the  secoiidlv,  on  the  ground  that  at  the  verv  time  that  Drake, 
lo  evidence,  made  the  pretended  discoveries,  he  ^vas,  contrarv  to  tlu'  laws 
periect  diS'    of  nations,  tMigaged  in  i»rosecuting  a  predatory  warfare  on  the 


58 


The  Sail  Jnau  Oncsficn. 


Xol85l». 


V/ 


nortliwcstcni  coast  of  America  against  Spain — a  country  ^viQot  ot 
"which  Enghind  was  then  at  peace — and  that  he  was  afterwariquestii 
in  consequence,  compelled  by  Queen  Elizabeth  to  restore  jow  ] 
Spain   a  part  of  his  ill-gotton  booty.      It  is  a  little  curiovjviffVri 
but  furnishes  an   illustration  of  the  reckless  and  incautio    The 
manner  in  which  statements  are  sometimes  made,  that  Lnc^gt    oi 
Clarendon  should  have  antedated  the  time  when  Drake  miiOoluinl 
this  voyage  by  twenty-one  years,  and  then  should  have  ^trading 
up  a  claim  for  Great  Britain  on  the  ground  of  prior  discoveiind  wh 
But   even  this   calcuhition,   which  we   sincerely  hope  wa^sap  the 
typographical  blunder,  would  place  the  Spanish  discovery  of  the 
advance  of  that  of  the  British  marauder  by  a  period  of  niigovern 
years.     Nothing,  after  this,  can  be  alleged  in  behalf  of  Drakiwester 
movements  as  constituting  evidence  of  a  more  jiofect  (^/svow/'relinqu 
or  of  any  discovery  whatever,  which  the  British  goverinueilglO,  1 
would  })robably  care  to  ofter  to  the   United  States,  or  to  tl3d.  Th 
world  at  large,  in  support  of  her  pre-eminent  claims.  by  cit 

Nor  can  the  explorations  of  Captain  Cook,  the  enterprisii  the  L' 
and  fearless  navigator,  whose  name  has  come  down  to  us  witunder  t 
honor,  be  properly  employed  in  support  of  this  special  pkunder 
of  a  more  perfect  discovery.  What  did  he  discover  on  tl  session 
northwestern  coast?  Certainly  not  the  Straits  of  Juan  tganu 
Fuca,  for  when,  in  1778,  in  the  latitude  of  48°  15',  he  w;  river,  i 
inspecting  the  coast,  and  the  southern  cape  at  the  entrain  return*, 
of  that  strait  Avas  in  full  view,  being  only  a  few  miles  distan  Oompa 
this  close  and  scrutinizing  observer,  who  does  not  on  tli  and  in 
occasion  seem  to  have  been  invested  Avith  his  full  powers  fpany,  1 
vision,  a:i.ounds  us  by  saying:  "It  is  in  this  very  hititudi by  the 
where  we  now  were,  that  geographers  have  placed  the  pii  treaty 
tended  (?)  Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca.  But  avc  saw  nothing  lik  includi 
it;  nor  is  there  the  least  ])robability  that  any  such  thnig  evi  purchi 
existed!"  But  Lord  Clarendon  'says  that  in  1792  Coo  States 
actually  took  possession  of  the  country  adjacent  to  the  Coluii,  parallc 
bia  river,  when,  in  fact,  his  voyage  was  made  in  1778,  "  fon;  line  o\ 
teen  years  before  the  Columbia  river  Avas  entered,  or  eve  We 
certainly  knoAvn  to  exist."  But  the  noble  lord,  it  avouI  sets  u 
seem,  is  not  very  particular  as  to  dates,  or  even  to  faci  and  oi 
whose  importance,  in  an  inquiry  of  this  kind,  depends  upo  fanciii 
dates.  hislor 

It  AA'ould  seem,   then,   th'it  Great  Britain  neither  by  tli  Oon\'i 
right  of  prior  discovery,  nor  by  that  of  a  more  perfect  di    their 
covery,  Avas  entitled  to  any  of  those  regions  on  the  northAvest  than  \ 
ern  coast  of  America,  Avhich  she   for  a  long  time  clainuMl  o;  is  a  si 
those  special  grounds.     Indeed  her  claim  of  right  to  u  singl  betwt 


r>»'"i85i). 


TliH  San  Juan  QmcsUou. 


59 


■a  country  'svioot  (»t'  that  territory  is,  hy  tlio  law  of  nations,  extremely 
ivas  aiterwari||ie;:;ti(iiijil»le,  and  lias  lonji;  been  so  ro^'arded,  and  what  she 
li  to  restore  iow  ])osse.sses  of  it,  it  is  l)clioved  she  possesses  rather  by 
I  little  <-"urioi;juf[V' ranee  and  conces^  inn,  under  treaty,  Ihan  by  ri^ht. 
and  ineaiitii,  The  claims  of  the  United  States  to  the  territory  in  quest'on 
ade,  that  Lof^^t  on  the  Iblhjwinir  grounds:  1st.  The  discovery  of  the 
en  Drake  niiiOolinabia  river,  in  1788,  by  Gray,  who,  in  that  year,  made  a 
lould  have  ^trading  voyage  to  the  Pacific  under  seadetters  from  Congress, 
rior  discoveijnd  who,  on  his  return  to  the  United  States  in  1702,  sailed 
y  hope  was(ip  tlui  river  a  distance  of  twenty  miles,  giving  it  the  name 
di  discovery  of  the  vessel  in  which  he  sailed.  2d.  The  transfer  to  this 
period  ot  niigovernment.  by  France,  in  1^03,  of  Louisiana,  with  undelined 
halt  ot  Draluy^esterly  Imnndaries,  as  she.  received  it  from  Spain,  and  the 
'r/f'c^  (^/.svoiv/'relinqiiishment  of  her  tithi  l)v  tlie  latter  under  the  treatv  of 
di  governmoilglO,  l)y  whiidi  she  ceded  the  Floridas  o  the  United  States. 
;ates,  or  to  tl3d.  The  occupation  of  the  territory  from  the  time  of  its  transfer 
claims.  by  citizens  of  the  United  States.     As  soon  as  jn'acticable,  after 

le  entcrprisiithe  Louisiana  |)urchase,  viz:  in  the  year  1805,  Mr.  Jcllerson, 
own  to  us  Avitunder  the  authority  of  Congress,  sent  a  company  of  Hfty  men, 
IS  special  pKunder  (.'  iptains  Lewis  and  Clarke,  to  explore  and  take  pos- 
iscover  on  tl  session  of  the  territory,  which  they  did  in  the  autumn  of  the 
its  of  Juan  (same  year,  remaining  there  during  the  winter,  tracing  the 
5  15',  he  AVirivor.  and  erecting  a  fort,  and,  then,  crossing  the  mountains, 
t  the  entraiK  returned  to  the  United  States.  In  180S  the  Missouri  Fur 
miles  distairOomi)anv  erected  trading  establishments  upon  the  Lewis  riviM", 
3S  not  on  til  and  in  1810  Mr.  Astor,  at  the  head  of  the  Pacific  Fur  Corn- 
full  powers  fpany,  built  Astoria,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  taken 
very  latitudi  by  the  British  in  the  war  of  1S12,  but  restored  under  the 
laced  the  pi^  treaty  of  Client  in  IS  18.  Sjiain,  insisting  that  Oregon  was  not 
V  nothing  lik  included  in  the  transfer  to  France  of  Louisiana,  which  we  had 
icli  thing  cvi  purchased  of  the  latter  government,  assigned  to  the  United 
n  1702  Coc  States  any  interest  she  might  have  above  the  forty-second 
to  the  Coluii.  parallel  of  latitude,  our  government  having  fixed  the  dividing 
1778,  "foil!  line  on  the  north,  with  Russia,  at  54°  40'. 
erod,  or  eve  We  c(nne  next  to  consider  the  claims  which  Great  Britain 
)rd,  it  woiil  sets  u[)  under  iiv_.aties;  the  rights  founded  on  prior  discovery, 
even  to  fact  and  on  inoi'e  ])erfect  discovery,  having  lieen  ascertained  to  bo 
ilepends  upo:  fanciful  and  untenable.  Let  us,  as  we  are  looking  into  the 
history  of  her  ])ret(>nsioiis,  refer  back,  first,  to  the  Nootka 
sither  by  tli-  Convention,  of  which  her  statesmen,  with  a  view  to  fortifying 
3  perfect  di  their  claims,  seem  to  have  s|)oken  somewhat  more  confidently 
he  northwest  than  the  facts  would  warrant.  A  convention  betwei'ii  nations 
le  claimed  o;  is  a  sei'ious  thing,  and  implies  that  there  arematli'i-s  in  dis|)uto 
ht  to  a  singlt  between  them  of  au  important  character,  but  which  sometimes, 

a 


"nmm** 


60 


Tltc  San  Juan  Question. 


[N,.^59.] 


save  for  the  consequence  attached  to  conventions,  AvonMyeri»eei 
the  judfi'ment  of  thinking-  men,  be  regarded  "trifles  h"glit^ac<?. 
air."      So  lone:,  then,  as  Great  Britain  had  a  convention  JSShhi   i 
Avhich  to  point,  she  thought  she  stood  on  solid  g-round,  iiucli  W'^ 
twisted  and  turned  the  Nootka   convention  inside  out,  ;ifttitl«d 
back  again,  until  she  made  of  it  a  very  respectable  gannent,  ritisn  • 
to  be  worn  by  a  king  or  queen,  and  investing  them,  for  if  trade 
time  being,  with  the  panoply  of  sovereignty.     Great  has  llothctl 
come,   and  justly  so,   in  states  and  kingdoms  the  reputati»e8i'l^'=^' 
of  conventions  tnid  treaties,  but  the  short  lived  iniportailone  ot 
which  Great  Britain  derived  from  the  Nootka  convention,  Jince  of 
the  slight  confirmation  given  by  it  to  her  exorbitant  claiiiCOi^  *'^'^ 
Avill  be  apparent  from  the  simple  st'itement  of  a  few  fju  rouiKl. 
The  convention  of  Nootka,  sometimes  called  the  treaty  of  took  pla< 
Esrurial,  was  entered  into  in  1790.     It  invested  Great  Brit;' '^^^i  V' 
with  no  territorial  rights,  but  only  with  such  as  were  purrilS'ti"''^ 
conventional  and  temporary.     The  first  article  of  it,  coucli^it'i'^"^  " 
in  grandilocpient   terms,    provides  that  *'the   buildings  ji-r^G  ^''*'. 
tracts  of  land,  situated  on  the  northwest  coast  of  Anierir'onventi 
or  on  the  islands  adjacent  to  that  continent,  of  which   \\^  mmd 
subjects  of  his  British  Majesty  were  dispossessed  about  t!'''!^,,  car 
month  of  April,  1789,  by  a  Spanish  officer,  should  be  restori^^©  in  h 
to  the  said  British  subjects."     The  Spanish  officer,  allu(Keiitioii 
to   in    this   passage,   Ave    presume    to    have    been    Martini*'  'i^"''^ 
Avho  had  taken  possession  of  Nootka  under  the  authority  ^^^-^ ' 
the  Spanish  government;  but  the  British  subjects  despoillR'^*:  r 
of  their    pro})erty  on  the  northwest  coast,    strange  to  s;il^^)"'^'' 
dwindle   (town  from   an  entire    population    to  a  single  in(ipri"^''''-'r; 
vidual,  one  Meares,  avIio,  if  ho  Avere  an  Englishman,  singular'''^®  .  P^^*- 
belied   his  country,  inasmuch   as  he   reached  Nootka,  as  va-dditioi 
have    repeatedly  said,    in  a   Portuguese    ship,  sailing   undt'''^®  ^'*' 
Portuguese  colors;  and  the  buildings,  of  Avhicli  Martinez  di      »V  ^  ^ 
possessed    British  subjects,    and   Avhicli,    from   the   empfub'^**'^^^  ' 
Avith   Avhich   they  are    referred   to  in  the  treaty,   might  l^ory.  V^ 
supposed  to  constitute  the  residences  of  a  respectable  c()i!"||^''''''^ 
munity,  are  reduced  from  many  to  one,  and  that  a  miserall'^®  y''" 
hut,  erected  by  the  permission  of  the  officer  in  command,  f  snail    u 
the  accoijimodation  of  Meares,  and  Avhich,  as  it  Avas  erected  <  ®*'*'^ 
land  not  belonging  to  him,  he  promised  to  give  up,  as  he  di/restoie 
on  his  leaA-ing  the  coast.     As  to  the  tracts  of  land  of  Avhii^*^^'"'''' 
British  subjects  were  dispossessed,    they  also,  unfortunatcl'^^8* 
for  the  consequential  terms  of  this  treaty,   A'anish   into  air*^*^  '^^ 
Martinez  eoukl  not,  in  this  respect,  execute  the  treaty,  l)ecan>^"®^  '^ 
its  ex(!cutiou  was  a  physical  'uipossibility.    No  occupation  ha  ^'®6**^*" 


M^ 


fN,-^59.] 


Tlie  San  Juan  Qvcfttlon. 


(;i 


ions,  M-onldyer  I x'lMi  proved;  no  dispossession,  tlioroforo.  could  ]i;i\t'  tid<"n 

'trifles  li;j,'litLace.      Ex  niliifn  uiJnl  /if.      Tliu  \vli()!o  coast  was  in  the  ])os- 

conventioii  Jssioii    nf  the   Spanisli   }:,'()vcriiint'nt.    ami  no  i>ritisli  sul'jcct, 

lid  ground,  iiucli  less  the  Uritisli  government  itscll",  in  its  o\\ii  right,  'vas 

nside  out,   iiatitlcd  to  u  to(jt  ot"  it.      The  treaty  ot'  the  Escurial  gave  to 

)le  garment,  ritish  -settlers  on  the  coast,  who  went  there  tor  the  i)urpose 

them,  for  tf  trade,    certain    privileges   of  temporary   settlement,    hut 

Great  has  llothed   their  government  with  no  right  of  eminent  domain. 

the  repntati^esides,  Great  Jiritain  did  not  avail  herself  of  these  privileges. 

od  importaijone  of  her  subjects  made  settlements  on  the  coast  in  pursu- 

onvention,  jiUce  ot"  the  treaty,  and  consecpu  ntly  the  argument  resulting 

rbitant  clainrom  even  a  temporary  possession,  slight  as  it  is,  falls  to  the 

of  a  few  faciTOUnd.      In  addition  to  this,  the  declaration  of  hostilities  that 

e  treaty  of  took  place  betvveen  the  two  countries,  Spain  and  England,  in 

1  Great  Brit.!  796,  put  an  end,  under  the  law  of  nations,  to  all  treaty  stip- 

Eis  Avere  puroilations  between  them,  and  England  was  left  in  the  same  con- 

of  it,  couclilition  that  she  occn])ied  before  the  treaty  was  made.      It  is 

buildings  a  rue  she  insisted  that  the  treaty  was  revived  in  ISl-l  by  a 

't  of  Ameri(!onvention  reviving  all  treaty  stipulations,  but  it  will  be  boi-ne 

of  Avhich   tin  mind  that  in  llSOO  Spain  transferred  her  right  in  Louisi- 

sed  about  tiina-j  earrying  with  it  all  the  northwest  coast,  to  France,  and 

ild  be  restoriltie  in  her  turn,  in  1803,  transferred  it  to  us,  so  that  the  con- 

oflicer,  allu(K6Btion  between  England  andSi)ain   in  ISl-t,  could  not  revive 

Jen    Martine*  riK^'f  that  had  wholly  passed  beyond  the  control  of  either 

0  authority  ^ty.      So  much    for   the   Nootka  convention,    under  which 

ects  dcspo'iltH|b'^*   Britain  gained  no  rights  but  such  as  were  guaranteed 

range   to  sn^^British  subjects  {is  such,  and  which  consisted  merely  of  the 

a   single  iiniprivilege  of  erecting  temporary  halntations  on  the  coast  for 

lan,  sin"'ulai  the  purposi;    of  carrying  on  trade  "vvith  the  natives,  with  an 

S^ootka,  as  ^(additional  ]»rovision  that  those  engaged  in  the  prosecution  of 

sailiu"-    undithe  iisheries  sliould  not  be  molested. 

Martinez  di  "^^^  come  now  to  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  ratified  by  the  United 
the  empha>^^t^^  '"  ^''^'  y<-'iii'  ISlo,  and  which  sti[)ulated  that  "all  tei'ri- 
t}',  mio-ht  itory,  places,  and  possessions  whatsoever,  taken  by  either  party 
oectable  coi'^^'*'".^'  the  war,  or  which  may  be  taken  after  the  signing  of 
it  a  miserals^^^^  treaty,  excepting  only  the  islands  hereinafter  mentioned, 
■shall  be  restoreil  without  delay."     Under  this  sti])ulation,  the 


mmP'- 


G2 


Tlte  San  Juan  Qtifsiion. 


[Novg59.1 


absolute  terms.    Ca])taiii  J3i(Ulle  couseciucntly  received  instni)  set  u]) 
tioiis  iVidii  this  ji'<iveriinient  to  proceed  to  the  inoutli  of  t  fterwiO' 


Cobiinl 


iia  aiu 


I 


asse 


rt  the  ehiim  of  the  United  States  to  t  lat  sht 


sovereisiiitv  (^>f  the  adjacent  eonntrv  in  a  friendlv  and  i)eaceallaim  t( 
manner,  and  Avithoiit  the  emi)loyment  of  force,"  Avhicli  or<lf  the  sj 
lie  executed  on  the  9th  of  August,  1818,  by  taking  possess!.  Dnrini 
of  the  country  on  the  river,  the  formal  restoration  taking  pinnae  ctbij 
on  the  14th  of  October  following.     Though  endeavoring  he  notij 
set  u|)   some  title  ])revious  to  this  restoration,  it  is  evi(k:etAve('U 
that  Great  Britain  had  but  little  confidence  in  the  validity  itiiig  til 
her  claim,  and  Lord  Castlereagh,  Principal  Secretary  of  tlhe  peod 
F(,)reign  Otlice,  declared  that  we  were  "entitled  to  be  ful?bis  notl 
restored,  and  to  be  deemed  the  party  in  possession  while  treahis  g<»A| 
ing  of  the  title,"  and  previously,  when  the  joint  occui)an(itizens, 
question  was  up  for  consideration,  the  British  Minister,  Caidoyed  a 
ning,  playfidly  remarked  to  our  Minister,  Mr.  Rush,   "we  nco/   yc'iH' 
not  hesitate  and  wrangle  about  the  matter,  for  ultimately  ivlessrs. 
icu/d(l  (ji't  the  whole  of  if" — i.  c,  the  whole  of  the  northwe-Vlr.  Vhm 
territorv:  and,  as  an  evidence  of  the  views  entertained  bv  or,    "Cire 
own  government,  Air.  Clay,  in  an  official  paper,  declared  thaJign^'^'  " 
• '  she, ' '  Great  Britain,  ' '  had  not  the  color  of  a  title  to  any  por/Aiot  m  ai 
of  the  territory."    In  1827,  when  Secretary  of  State  under  Mi-igbt  of 
Adams'  administration,  he  instructed  our  Minister  at  the  Couribe  rigl 
of  St.  James  to  inform  the  British  government  that  the  exteiBritain, 
sion  of  the  forty-ninth  parallel  to  the  Pacific  was  ouriiltimatuiiwory,  ch 

We  come  next  to  the  convention  of  October  20,  1818,  entereprior  or 
into  between  tiie  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  fourtcePy  ^  i*"^ 
days  after  the  restoration  was  made,  and  which  stipulated  thutictuaUy 
"any  country  that  may  be  claimed  by  either  party  on  t li virtue  c 
nortliwest  coast  of  America  Avestward  of  the  Rocky  mountaiiigave  he 
shall,  together  with  its  harbors,  bays,  and  creeks,  and  tliof^^'^.V 
navigation  of  all  rivers  within  the  same,  be  free  and  open  fowhat  ni 
the  term  of  ten  years  from  the  date  of  the  signature  of  thiflo  woi 
convention,  to  the  vessels,  citizens  and  subjects  of  the  tw.of  the 
powers."  animm 

By  the  i)rovisions  of  a  convention  entered  into  between  tluof  the 
same  parties  on  the  Gth  of  August,  1827,  the  main  provision-^  *^^^'' 
of  the  foregoing  convention  were  renewed  and  extended  fuiHieann 
an  indefinite  period,  coupled,  however,  with  the  proviso  tha;*'^*^  ^'' 
it  was  "competent  for  either  of  the  contracting  parties,  upui.<ii®P"'^' 
giving  due  notice  of  twelve  months  to  the  other  contracting: ^^*^|.^  " 
party,  to  annul  and  abrogate  this  convention."  the  n(» 

Such  is  a  l)rief  history  of  the  chiims  which,  since  the  origin  oi*°*^  ^^ 
this  very  troublesome  controversy.  Great  Britain  has  attempts!  *"**'  » 


IWiHii"",<i>ii 


■"S"* 


WIWPW" 


■*•»■' 


mtt 


[^'o^B59.J 


TItC  San  Jn(ui  Quesliuii. 


(S^ 


coivcd  instiT)  set  n\*  under  tin-  cdImt  of  her  treaties,  first  with  Spain,  aii'l 
mouth  of  flfterwanls  with  tlie  L'nited  States, but  from  wliicli  it  a|niears 
states  to  t  lat  slir  was  not  entitled,  under  any  treaty  whatsoever,  to  lay 
iiiid  peacealjaim  t(»  or  exereisu  any  aets  c»f  sovereiL;iity  over  any  jiortiou 

which  ordf  tlie  soil  on  the  northwest  coast  of  North  America. 

iiig'  possess!.   During'  the  lirst  session  of  the  2{)th   Congress,  a  riisolution 

11  taking  pl.irae  otVered  in  the  United  States  Senate  to  give  Great  Di'itain 

iideavoring  he  notice  of  twelve  months,  hy  virtue  of  which   the  treaty 

it  is  cvidoetvveen  her  and  the  United  States  of  August  (!,   1827,  sti|»u- 

tho  validity  itiiig  that  the  Territory  of  Oregon  shall  he  free  and  open  to 

cretary  of  tl.he  people  of  bolh  countries,  is  to  hi;  ahrogated  and  annulled. 

d  to  be  fui.^his  notice,  at  that  time,  became  necessarv,  not  onlv  because 

:in  while  trea his  go\eriunent  wished   to  occu[)y  that  territory  with  her 

nt  occuj)aii(itizcns,    but  in   conse(|Uence  of  the   arr(tgant  language  em- 

^linister,  Cai)loyed  and  the  h)fty  pretensions  set  ii[)  l)y  Great  Britain.    Only 

sh,   "wGneoi   year   previous   to    the    ratification   of  the   treaty   of  182", 

nltimately  (tiessrs.  Iluskisson  and  iVddington,  in  their  correspondence  with 

ho  northwe-tfr.  (xallatin,  thus  state  their  claim: 

tained  by  oi;  "Great  Britain,''  they  said,  '•claimed  no  exclusive  sover- 
dccLired  tha)ignty  over  any  portion  of  that  territory.  Her  present  claim, 
to  aiuj  2)ovt iu\oi  hi  any  respect  to  any  part  but  to  the  irJtole,  is  limiteil  to  a 
ite  under  Mi'ight  of  joint  occupancy  in  common  with  other  States,  leaving 
1' at  the  Couphe  right  of  exclusive  dominion  in  ahoinnce.'''  Yes!  (rreat 
lat  the  exteiiBritain,  without  the  shadow  of  a  title  to  a  foot  of  tin?  tei-ri- 
urultimatuii^ory,  claimed  the  whole  of  it,  not  then  on  the  ground  of  a 
1818,  cntcrePrioi'  or  more  perfect  discovery, but— c/'C(/o/  JikIx'hs  AjqnlliL  ! — 
tain,  fourtcePy  virtue  of  the  Nootka  convention  with  Spain,  a  ti'eaty 
til)ulated  tlnitictually  annulled  by  her  war  A\ith  that  power,  and  also  by 
party  on  tlivirtue  of  the  treaty  of  1818  with  the  United  States,  and  which 
ky  mountaiiigave  her  only  a  joint  occu])ancy  in  the  Territory  for  the  term 
cks,  and  tliof  ten  years  !  ^Ir.  Packenham,  the  British  Minister,  was  some- 
and  open  fiwhat  more  moderate  in  his  diiuiands,  but  not  less  prtjvoking. 
ature  of  tliiSo  would  be  content,  he  said,  "with  an  e<iuitable  partition 
'  of  the  tWiOf  tlu^  whole  l)etween  the  two  powers  !"  That  is  to  say,  for 
an  innnense  and  valuable  territory,  purchased  by  the  money 
betw^eon  i\\oi  the  United  States,  his  governuKMit  would  be  content  with 
in  provision'^'  seizure  of  (Uie-lialf — for  that  must  be  ])resumed  to  be  the 
extended  fdiineaning  of  his  '' equitable pariii Ion.'''  Had  he  not  been  satislied 
proviso  tlia:tbat  the  rights  of  the  United  States  to  the  wdiole  were  beyond 
)artics,  npui. dispute,  he  wordd  doubtless  not  have  made  a  concession  of  so 
'  contracting' ^Wch  as  a  half,  but  would  have  demanded  for  his  government 
the  lion's  share.  We  believe  the  lion  is  her  national  emblem, 
the  origin  oiand  is  somewhat  signiticant  of  her  pro[»ensities — of  an  appetite 
IS  attomptC'i*^**  grows  by  what  it  feeds  on,  and  which  linds  it  no  diflicult 


I'll  A  IP  II 


"«IIFR 


'T^^^m 


C.l 


Thr  Smi  Jiiitii   Question. 


[X    850. 


task  fit  "'oiiv.M-t  tlie   v'v^\\\  of  a  joint  occnpfinry,  l>y  a  siKLiemaiii 
lea]),  into  !i   vJLi'lit  of  <'iiiin<'nt  doiaain.      Ifad  it  not  Ix'cii   incl  of  t 
tlu"  ,u-(Mu'rosity  of  tlio  Unitcil  Sf;itos,  siu'iiificd  l»y  licv  soariyje  Ore!. 
caii-lc.  slio  M-onM  lu'vor  liavc  consented  to  lliis  joint  occn[)ai  ;nd  \v»' 
as  one  of  tlio  conditions  of  peace  witli  a  country  of  sudi  li' acts  co 
lilvjD  propensities  and  of  so  exorl>itant  an  appetite,  l»ut  ^\■lt^,,Il(J  are 
have  held  on  to  licr  territorial  rights  with  a  firm  and  undyi  vith  wl 
g-ras]),  ^       iny  otl 

Perliaps  no  cpie.stion  tliat  has  ever  been   debated  in  tmrdoii 
Auu'rican  Senate,  frcnn  tlic  origin  of  tlie  government,  awaken  ylajcsty 
a  dee[)er  feeling  on  the  part  of  the  citizens  of  the  United  Stat)eforo 
at  large,  or  elicited  higher  talents  or  a  more  searching  analy-iblest, 
from  tiie  distinguished  members  of  that  body — a  body,  at  leashe  pre 
equal  in  tlu;  higher  attributes  of  statesmanshi[),  in  genius  mutates— 
in  solid  knowledge  (if  not  superior)  to  the  famed  Senates  Right  I 
Rome  and  Great  Britain — than  the  Oregon  question,  a  quest!  esty's 
in  respect  to  the  true  territorial  boundaries  of  the  United  Stat  Envoy 
on  its  northwestern  frontier.     The  question  was  one  of  tlQnited 
right  of  the  American  citizen  to  American  soil — to  a  part  ioubtle^ 
his  country,  and  if  there  is  anything  that  strikes  home  to  tlwould  i 
heart  of  the  American,  and  ronses  up  all  his  energies,  airul  and 
(cs})ecially  if  right  and  honor  are  assailed)  quickens  and  fii  Ration 
his  indignation  to  the  highest  degree,  it  is  a  question  of  tLoaemori 
kind,  involving,  as  it  does,  a  title  to  the  broad  earth  and  bom  that  it  t' 
ing  rivers  of  his  "own,  his  native  land" — not  simply  to  a  Starof  the  i\ 
though  it  may  be  the  State  of  his  birth  or  adoption,  but  to  libhat  ger 
whole   country.     On  the  other  hand,  came  up  the  claims  the  Uni 
Great  Britain,  not  founded  in  justice,  not  in  accordance  wittions  wi 
the  laws  of  nature  or  of  nations,  bnt  pressed  with  a  sturdy  arnorthwc 
unyielding  (obstinacy  peculiar  to  her  national  genius,  a  gcnivforty  m; 
of  a  comprehensive  and  grasping  kind,   a  commercial  geniii-forty-ni 
spreading  a  greedy  eye   over  whole  oceans  and  continent-garded 
with  a  desire  of  appropriation,  and  who,  after  all  her  conquestscountr}' 
was  never  ready  to  cry,   "enough  !"   saw  no  ultima  thule,  biilectionn 
marching  ever  onward  with  a  proud  but  dissatisfied  air,  ibwiU  bel 
sumed  for  her  mottoes,  "Get  all  you  can,  and  keep  all  yoand  niii 
o])tain  !"      "Right  is  a  strong  argument,  but  assume  a  virtue :     By  tl 
you  have    it  not."      "The  shadow  of  a  right  is  somethiiiL;15,  IS  J 
Pursue  it  as  if  you  were  in  earnest,  as  if  your  life  dependeninth  p 
on  the  pursuit,  and,  by  and  by,  the  world,  supposing  thatyoiiin  exisi 
zeal  has  a  real  and  tangible  object,  will  admit  that  you  havand  G 
grasped  the  substance."     Such  is  now,  and  such  ever  lias  been  theater 
the  character  of  British  policy.     The  progress  of  civilizatioiMajest; 
has  not  changed  nor  ameliorated  it — and  such,  we  fear,  it  wilparalle 


■  '^fi. 


I>V'  850. 


TJic  San  Juan   Qiusfion. 


n.-j 


,  l>y  u  sii(l,|Qjjj.,i„    hancrlitv,  itrotcMitioiis.  oxai-tiiiir.  iiii*l  exorMtaiit  to  flu; 

1    nor   hccii   jQ^j  ,,(•  fji,n>_      Wji  liavc  no  iiitciitiMii  tc  I'cvicw  tin'  debates  on 

y  '^^■'  ^^'i'l'ili©  OrcL^oii  question  that  took  |)lac(-  in   tin-  Ani('i-i<';iii  Senate, 

lint  occn[)iii:,jjj  \y^,  refer  to  tlnMu  sini[)Iyto  remind  our  renders  that  all  th(> 

\  '^'  ^"eji  lii  jacts  eonneeted  with  that   inquiry  hav(»   heen  wdl   canvassed 

ite,  lint  weiimd  are  betoro  the  world;  and  that  it"  there  is  any  one  niattei' 

n  and  undyiyith  whieli  our  intelli.irent   citizens  are  more  conv(.'rsant  than 

iny   other,    it   is   that  ot"  this   Itoundary   line  that    separates 

coated   in  t)vir  dominittiis  on  the  nortlnvestei'n  frontier  from  those  of  her 

ont,_awakeii Majesty  the  (^)ueen  of  Great  Jiritain.      The  treaty  of  184(5  is 

United  Statjewro  us,    ne,^•otiated,   on   one  side,   by  one    of  the  purest, 

t'hin,!;- analv-iblest,  aiul  most  determined  statesmen  of  this  or  of  any  a>i:e, 

body,  at  lea-he  present  venerable  chief  executive  ma^nstrate  of  the  United 

m  o-eiHus  instates — vlarinn  vciirrahih-   vomonx    and,  on    the  other,    by   the 

led  Senates  Right  Ilonora.  le  Richard  Pack(.'nhani,  a  menil»er  of  her  Ma- 

lon,  a  questi  esty's    Most    Honorable    J'rivy   Council,   and    her   Majesty's 

United  Stat  Envoy    Extraordinary  and  Minister    Plenipotentiary    to    the 

^'as  one  of  t![Jnited  States,  (we  like  to  ^ive  the  wliole  title,)  a  diplomatist. 

to  a  part  ioubtless,  of  the  most  atbuirable  caution  and  sa^^acity,  or  he 

'8  iionio  to  tlwould  not  have  been  so  eminently  distinpiislied  l>v  his  thou,!4ht- 

ener^-ies,  auul  and  i)rudent  government.      Whatever  may  be  said  in  dero- 

■kens  and  fir  ration   of  the   stipulations  of  this  brief  but   important  and 

uesjon  of  tl.aaein(u*a!de  treaty,  one  thin<^  may  certainly  be  said  in  its])raise: 

I'th  and  bouithat  it  exhibits  the  highest  possilde  evidence  of  the  generosity 

iply  to  a  Statof  the  American  people,  and  of  the  lively  sense  entertained  of 

ion,  but  to  lithat  generosity  b}'  the  experienced  statesman  who  represented 

tlie  claims  -the  United  States  on  that  occasion.     By  our  previous  conven- 

"ordanco  wittions  Avith  Spain,  France,  and  Russia,  we  were  entitled  to  the 

11  a  sturdy  ainorthwestcrn  territory  u})  to  the  })arall(d  of  lifty-four  degrees 

nius,  u  geniiforty  minutes.     If  we  consented  to  divide  the  territory  at  the 

ercial  geniu-forty-ninth  parallel,  the  remainder  of  our  claim  may  bo  re- 

d  continent>garded  in  the  light  of  a  concession,  on  our  ]>art,  to  the  mother 

ler  conquestscountry,  in  consideration  of  common  ancestry  and  ancient  recol- 

ijDa  fhnle,  biiections,  and  made  for  the  sake  of  perpetuating  i>cace  and  good- 

isfietl  air,  a,>will  between  two  nations  who  had  many  motives  foi*  cementing 

keep  all  y(rajid  maintaining  friendly  relations  with  each  other. 

mo  a  virtue;     By  the  first  article  of  our  treaty  with  (ireat  Britain  of  June 

s  somethiii-15,  1840,  it   is  stipulated,  that  *'from  the  point  of  the  forty- 

ife  dependcuinth  parallel  of  north  latitude,  where  the  boundary  laid  down 

ling  that  yoiiin  existing  treaties  and  conventions  between  the  United  States 

hat  you  Iiavand  Great  Britain  terminates,  the  line  of  boundary  between 

ver  has  beciithe  territories  of  the  United  States  and  those  of  her  Britannic 

f  cIvilizatioiMajesty  shall  be  continued  westward  along  the  said  forty-ninth 

e  fear,  it  wilparallel  of  latitude  to  the  middle  of  the  channel  which  separates 

5 


mmmm 


IMHM 


OG 


The  San  Juan  Quest  ion . 


[X, 


1859. 


WaBliiti 


the  (.•oiitiiuMit  from  Vancouver's  island,  and  tlienco  soutln 
through  tin-  niiildlf  nt'said  cliaiini'l  and  ot"  Fuca's  straits  tn 
l^acilic  ocean:  ProvliJed,  iiouevor,  that  tliu  navij^ation  dl'^^P'"^' 
whoh^  of  the  said  channel  and  straits,  south  of  the  forty -im'^^f*'"" 
paralhd  ofnorth  latitude,  remains  free  and  open  tohoth  partii  -^ 

It  would  seem,  from  the  stipulations  of  a  treaty  so  distini  ■^®®"  ^ 
expressed,  that  no  j)ossilde  didiculty  could  arise  in  respect*^®^^  ^'^ 
what  was  included  within  the  boundary  line  and  what  outsi^  "^"l" 
of  it,  when  it  is  said  to  be  the  middle  of  the  channel  scparat    ^^^V'' 
the  Island  of  Vancouver  from  the  continent,  for  the  sli<;lii'^"y  '  "^ 
inspection  of  a  correct  map  of  the  country  would  be  sulli?^'  '] 
ent  to  satisfy  any  one  that  the  channel  intended  to  be  s])ecit:l?    F'' 
in  the  treaty  is  the  channel  of  Ilaro,  the  main  channel  i    ,     ''/ 
nectin;;-  with  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  which  is  obviously  the  ur  ,  *,  ' 
highway  for  the  navigation  of  both  nations  on  their  "vvi»\  »••  • 
the  Pacitic,  and  this  being  admitted  to  be  the   case,  it  W(  :q   •'  *  ; 
as  obviously  throw  the  Island  of  San  Juan  on  the  Americ  .  ./" 
and  the  Island  of  Vancouver  on  the  British,  side  of  the  cli.  .  j  *, 

•  •  •  •  l*lftfl   TO 

ncl.     But  the  question  of  our  title  to  San  Juan  island  havi      ,    ,   . 

been  drawn  into  dispute  by  recent  circumstances  which  iq,, 

notorious  to  the  whole  country,  and  which  have  threaten     j-n-. 

temporarily,  at  least,  to  disturb  the  friendly  relations  of  t    ,      . 

two  countries,  it  may  be  proper  to  consider  the  relation  wlii    -  A 

the  island  in  dispute  bears  to  the  continent  or  main  land, ,        'i 

well  as  to  dwell  brieflv  on  the  causes  which  have  disturli.       ,•  ' 
.,  •    V      i>         *     •     ^         •  1     I  •  1   I  i.  1   tractinc 

tiie  equanimity  ot  our  ancient  cousins,  and  wlucn  have  at  Ic;     j     i  , 

led  to  a  loud  war  of  words  in  the  leading  political  journals     r    , ,  ^ 

both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  .i     U  ; 

The  Island  of  San  Juan,  containing  forty  thousand  '"iciti       i     ' 

is   one    of   a  group   of  sixteen,    constituting  an    archipela       o 

in   the   waters  of   Puget  Sound — the    Mediterranean  sea  p^ii:',;,^, 

the    northwestern    territory   of   the   Union.      This  island  _;~i  +  i 

separated  from  Vancouver's  island    by  the  main  channel  ^^bcUj, 

the  Straits  of  Haro,  and  belongs  to  that  class  of  islands  "^vlii  q     i.    • 

are  usually  called  continental,  to  distinguish  th^ni  from  avIi  '■■ 

are  denominated  oceanic  islands.     .'i.n  inspection  of  the  iii.^'      ^ 

would  convince  any  one  acquainted  with  the  scienceof  phy-         -  ^^ 

cal  geogra})liy  that  this  Avhole  group  of  islands  anciently  1  lj— 

longed  to  the  continent,  and  formed  an  integral  portion  o^^'Tnith'i 

main  land,  from  which  they  have  been  dissevered  during  t 


ill 


wi 

a 

The 


lapse  of  ages  by  the  eruptions  of  the  ocean.  Suffice  it  v\tJL^  . 
say  that,  under  the  treaty  of  1846,  it  has  been  claimed  as  tl  ^^^j  ^j', 
property  of  the  United  States,  and,  in  the  survey  of  the  coa  q£  ^^^, 
and  its  appendages,  has  been  embraced  within  the  limits  attacln 


[Xu 


1859.] 


The  Son  Juan  Quvslion. 


CT 


lienco  soullii  _,    ,  .  m      •  11  1      •        /• 

■  I'c  <fr..W  .  i    .VVaRMitiL''titti   li'rnt(>r\',  l>v  the  oxnicss  aiitli'intv  o\  mir  of  \\\^^ 

tl  o    '^  1 1  ( 1 1  I N    I  I  I  .  •  •  ,  '  • 

iviratioii  of  4epi>rtm<'iits  mI  tlic  Aiin'rican  ;;ov(,'niiiit'iit.  ami  loiinally  takm 


fl..'.  f,,.-*,-  ,  ■  )08sessin!i  uf  and  lortilicd   liv  tlif  Lrdicral   in  coiumaiKl  of  the 
iJiL  10113-1111    .-.  ......  .'  .'      .  .  , 

j,^],j^j^}     J    .jTiilitary  division  in  that  r('L;i(»n.      .\n  iniitri'ssion  sci'ins  to  have 


iry  so  (iistiiK  •'"^'^"  '  """  "^  in  tho  United  States  that,  notwithstaiidiiiir  the 
so  in  resDecf^^'y  ex|>ress  ternis  of  the  treaty,  this  ishmd  was  territory  still 
wl  «•!>..+  -\.,.    n  dispute  between  tlic  two  eoiintries.      \\\\{  this  issue  has  not 

HI  \MiaL  outs;  '11  4.1-11  iti 

iinol  t^cnarit  ®^ '""'^*'  l>y  our  }.:;oveniinent,  which  has  never  entertained 
.1.  till  !i';,..'i  .^■nv  doiihts  a.s  to  its  riiz;ht  to  it,  has  alwavs  treated  it  a>  its 
)i    iiie  slight     J  ,  •      1       X       f  1  •  '    -x         i-        • 

ouhl  be     nl!'"*^'^^'  ""      <'-\'<'reised  aets  (»t  ownership   over  it.  as  tornun^r  iin 


ouiu  he  suiiir""'  •   •    •;.,:/,,  :     ;  ',       •        :     • 

[  to  be  ST  e  if'^*®?'"'      and    indisputal)le    part   01    tlie   American    territory. 

,.   r.i, ..,.,!,  1      Besides,  it  would  seem   there   could  be  no  reasonalde   doui>t 

n  ciianncl  t'  ,       .    ,    ,  11  ,.   . 

ouslv  tho  ..   *'"**  '^  l>eion<red  to  us  by  the  express  terms  of  the  treaty.    1  he 

I,   +iwM-..  ,..'"   doubt  was  started  and  the  diflieultv  raised  l»v  her  IJritaniic 
11  tlieir  wav,,  .        .  .  ,,  •  ^       ' 


their  wavrr  .     .    ,  '  .  .•  •       .   a-  '  n       '  t»        1 

..o^   ;f  ,  •  Maiestv  s  reiu-esontative  at    Vancouver,   Uovernor   Doimlass. 
ase,  It  W(ii-3    J      •  '  .  ,,         .   ,  ,  ,     '  .        X'    i         • 

4         •    aome  aggressions   on   the   rights   and    property  01   American 


iiie  Amerir;   rr       '^P    n  1     *  w!        r         •      1  n         *  1   ii  1 

1^  ^f  +1        I  citizens  had  occurred  at  haii  Juan,  and  (jreiieral  llarnev  hur 
.10  01   the  Cli;   .  J  ,       ..  i       -i.!  -i-i.  r  •       1    i.      1       '    1     • 

.  I'oio,.  1  I       ried  to  tiio  S])ot  with  a  militarv  tt)roe,  as  m  diitv  bound,  in 
1  island  havi     j       -        •  '    -i  ,     ,•       '         •      i    1       ..i      " 

ices  whicl    .0*"^^''   t'^   give   the    protection    required    by   the   enu'rgency. 

ivo  thro'it  >  *^^^*^  ^^'"^  '^  possibility  of  getting  into  the  Straits  of  Fuca  by 

■elation''  ft*  different   chanmd  from  th(3  Straits  of  Haro.    iind   which,   if 

,...1  .+;  1  adopted  as  the  cliannel  of  the  treatN',  would  throw  the  Island 

rohition  win  ^  K       ,         ^  ,,       .         .  •  V,       i>  •.•  1      •  1       r  .li 

..  ,,.  ;.    1      1  O*   fe'ih  Juan  trom    the  American    to   the    Hritish  side  ot    the 
r  main  land.,         ,        ,.  ,xr,  .  ,     ,  ,  .    ,      i    1  1      .1     1  •   1 

.  -r.^    r  +     1  DOOndarv  line.     Winch  channel  was  intended  l»\'  the  high  con- 

IclVe    ClISTUrli.  ..         •  a    ^^  i\  I  \   \^  -1,1 

I  |,.,„p  .  i.  1    trading  })Gwers  .'  Uovernor  Douglass  su]i]>osed  there  might  be 
1 '•      '     ,    a  doubt  about  that  matter,  and,  consequently,  a  doubt  as  to 

^         '  '^whether,  under  the  treaty,  San  Juan  belonged  to  England  or 

1  the  United  States.     Consequentlv  Ik;  intiinateil,  it  is  said,  that 

T  •     ]  ne  should  forcibly  pn^vent  the  landing  of  any  lurther  troops 

^      "on  San  Juan,  which  had  very  much  tlie  aspect  of  a  threatened 
ranean  sea   ^  .1.  .  ■,',     ,,  -ia       "    /•  ..i      ..  i       1  •  i 

rpi  •     •  1      1  collision   with  the   military  ot  the  two    powers,    and   whicli 
Ihis  island  _i  1  .  1      1  .  1  1    x  xi  i.  •  n^^  •      -c 

1  ,  micrht  lead  to  a  general  war  betweciu  the  countries. 

II  n  channe       f  •,  ,  .^   ^  .  i    ,        tt-     1       .^i        r 


This,  if 
V.    therefore.    General 


•  1      1        ,.  possible,    was    to    be  avoided v......... 

islands  wliiS  ^,,    •  ,.  ,  .             .       -r*                                    1 

I        r           ,  ocett.  111  consequence  ol    Ins  u'reat  militarv  oxptM'ience   and 

lem  irom  wli  ^_     •,  n    i   •  .^             'n  x-             i  '1       \  i     i  i.    i.i 

,.    -.         sagacity,  Avas  called  into  consultation,  and  despatched  to  tho 

,.    ,     scene  of  the  troubles,    undcM'  instructions  from  our   Govern- 

/,    •,  ment  which  have  not  transi)ire<l,  but  wliicli  probablv  invi^sted 

anciently  bui«.     -^i   *i     <•      *•  c  c     .       •<•      1    c      r"  1        *•  ^ 

..        v  .nmi  with  the  tunctions  ot  a  pacihcator.  il  not  ol  a  di[)lomi'.tist, 

1    1     •       ,iWith  a  view  to  the  settlement  of  the  whole  difficulty, 
ed  durino:  t      mv  i-        -^  11  -x-     •         1   •  t'         •       x 

y  „,      '^         Ihe  question,  it  Avould  se(?m,  it  viewed  in  a  dispassionate 

,   .       ,        ^,  litiffat,  and  with  a  distinct  reference  to  the  terms  of  the  treatv, 
claimed  as  tl  „°j  \\      \  c      .•  •  1  xi        ' 

,.  ,  ana  the  laws  ot  nations  governing  such  cases,  cannot  l>e  one 

tl     1-^  ^-^'' o^  very  difficult    solution.      Far   more    imjiortance   lias   Iieen 
I  the  limits  attached  to  it  than  it  deserves,  but  the  slightest  causes,  where 


:  Vii"iiriiWi""< 


IMMHMni 


iMtaKwl 


.■.TS*-#!K 


G8 


The  San  Juan  Question. 


[Nol859. 


parties  arc  jealous  of  each  other,  often  lead  to  serious  distuiiingui 
allocs.     It  is  iK'cossarv,  therefore,  that  the  matter  should  island 
maiiap;ed  with  a  wise  caution,  hut,  at  the  same  time,  witltracks| 
hrm  determination  not  to  surrender  to  the  British  g-overnimfour  > 
one  iota  of  our  rig'hts.     For  the  sake  of  pc:ice  and  good  fclLthat  t 
ship,  we  have  conceded  too  much  to  her  already.     There  i-Britai 
point  where  intcm})erate  exactions,  accompanied  with  thit;ondar 
and  a  spirit  of  bravado,  must  be  met  with  uncompromising  aStrait 
sturdv  resistance,  and  this  is  doubtless  one  of  those  poiiis  foui 
which  in  the  progress  of  our  history  we  have  now  reaclnof  the 
"VVe  are  satisiied  that  Great  Britain  does  not  wish  to  go  tou     On 
with  us  at  this  time  about  this   matter  or  any  other.     S  dred  . 
has  troubles  of  a  weightier  nature  nearer  liomc  which  ii,precin 
occupy  the  minds  of  her  leading  statesmen  and  distract  tli.frage, 
thoughts.     Neither  do  we  court  a  war  with  her,  nor  ex})'  even 
one:  but  if  she  is  not  satisfied  with  the  amount  of  territo States 
she  has  received  at  our  Imnds,  but  demands  a  portion  of  i  const r 
inheritance  at  the  point  of  the  sword,  the  United   States  w  of  ^^\*^ 
be  ready  to  meet  her.    Its  free  and  brave  people,  with  anus  tery,  1 
their  hands  and  stan<ling  upon  their  rights,  will  be  prepai  our  1'^' 
to  defend  them.      Wo  have  done  this  before,  and  can  do  the  ex 
again,  and  as  often  as  necessary.     But  w'e  see  no  danger  to  deft 
liostilities  arising  from  this  cause, at  the  present  time,  with  t  t^®  ^''^ 
mother  country.     Pacific  counsels  will  prevail  over  hasty  [.;  tativel 
sions,  and  we  shall  soon  see  an  end  of  the  matter.     This  v  then  s( 
certainly  be  the  case  if  it  shall  be  discovered,  as  it  will  i  they  n 
that  upon  the  negotiation  of  the  treaty  in  question,  in  on; 
to  avoid  dismembering  Vancouver  by  detaching  a  strip  of  soi 
thirty-five  miles  from  the  southern  part  of  the  island,  it  m 
agreed  we  should  take  the  waters  of  the  sound  as  the  bouL 
ary.     This  fact,  if  it  shall  sippear,  will  show  that  it  Avas  t 
intention  of  the  contracting  parties  to  leave  that  island  to  Gii       '^.''' 
Britain,  and  allow  the  United  States  to  retain  all  the  ajipoh  cratic 
ages,  in  islands,  of  the  main  land;  so  that,  in  fact  as  well  as   graces 
law,  the  title  of  Great  Britain  docs  not  extend  an  inch  bevn   Pi*6^"' 
a  marine   league   fnmi  Vancouver.     This,  coupled  with  t    s^J^t  ti 
ascertained  fact  that  the  main  channel  separates  San  .lii   *"®  ^'' 
from  Vancouver,  places  the  former  clearly  within  the  limits    ^"^  '^^ 
the  American  Union.  years, 

It  will  be  remembered  that  by  difierent  past  public  aci   "^**"  * 
the  rights  of  the  United  States  to  this  island,  and  the  gru' 
constituting  an  archipelago  in  these  waters,  have  been  assertc 
That  scientific  and  eminently  useful  institution,  the  Unit' 
States  Coast  Survey  under  the  direct  management  of  its  d; 


mmisi 
of  on 

80  sn< 
Iti 


'm^:^ 


inaMBg 


[Nol859.] 


Jamf-^  Btichamtn. 


CO 


'  serious  dist\ii 

natter  t^hould 

me  time,  Avitl 

iti.sh  govern  111, 

aiul  good  fell,. 

itl.y.     There  i 

ied  with  thrt; 

)iu promising ;, 

of  those  poii 

^e  now  reaclu 

'ish  to  go  to  u 

my  other.     S 

)me  wliich  ii, 

id  distract  tli, 

her,  nor  exp. 

unt  of  territn 

'  portion  of  i 

ited   States  w 

le,  with  ariii> 

ill  be  prepar 

and  can  do 

0  no  danger 

t  time,  with  t 

over  liasty  p; 

tor.     This  V 

.1,  as  it  will  i 

stion,  in  oru 

a  strip  of  sol 

c  ishnid,  it  u 

as  the  boiiii 

hat  it  Avas  t 

ishmd  to  Gr. 

11  the  appei. 

t  as  \vell  as 

11  inch  beyn: 

pled  with*  t 

ites  San  Ju 

11  the  liniib 


linguisliod  cliief.  has  traced  out  the  exterior  linos  of  these 
islands,  ascertained,  by  exact  soundings,  the  depths  in  the 
tracks  of  the  sarronn<ling  waters,  and  ushen'd  to  tlie  woi'ld, 
four  year>!  ji^-i,  a  most  valuable  and  interesting  inaj».  showing 
that  the  Rosario  Straits  nearest  to  the  main  land  which  Great 
-Britain  claims  as  the  dividing  line,  are  shallow,  entirely  sec- 
ondary— in  fact  shoal  water,  whilst  on  the  other  hand,  in  the 
Straits  of  llaro,  those  I'arthest  to  the  west  and  near  Vancouver, 
is  found  the  deep-sea  ehaniu'l,  the  natural  and  real  boundary 
of  the  territory  of  the  two  nations. 

On  this  San  Juan  Island,  east  of  those  st  'its  are  one  hun- 
dred American  settlers.  It  has  been  organised  as  a  political 
precinct  i»f  Washington  Territory,  exercising  the  right  of  suf- 
frage, and  it>  influence  felt  in  the  election  of  tei-ritoi  nd  oflicers, 
even  including  the  Delegate  t«t   the  Congress  of  the  United 


States,  Jt  is  now  fortified  by  an  exterior  line  of  defence, 
constructed  on  military  princii)les,  and  is  held  l)y  a  detachment 
of  Hve  hundred  United  States  troops,  with  a  heavy  field  bat- 
tery, by  flying  artillery  and  infantry.  Jt  is  the  i)rinciple  of 
our  ]»eople,  when  once  the  right  to  an  inch  of  our  territory  on 
the  extremest  frontier  is  determined  by  the  proper  authorities, 
to  defentl  and  maintain  thai  right  by  all  the  jxtwer  and  means 
the  nation  can  commar.d.  Let  that  judgment  be  once  authori- 
tatively expressed  in  aflirming  our  title,  and  the  world  will 
then  see  that  we  are  in  earnest,  let  the  consequences  be  what 
they  may. 


JAMES  BUCHANAN. 


t  public  ac; 
uid  the  groi 
been  asserti 
n,  the  Unit 
ent  of  its  d: 


Wk  ])ro])oso  to  present  in  this  first  number  of  the  Demo- 
cratic J?eview,  as  an  accom]>aninient  fo  the  portrait  which 
graces  it,  a  short  outline  of  the  ciireer  of  Jamhs  lincFiANAN, 
President  of  the  United  States.  Our  limits  forbid  us  at  ]U'e- 
sent  from  giving  more  than  a  very  brief  and  meagre  sketcii  of 
the  life  of  this  distinguished  statesman;  Init.  brief  at  it  is,  it 
will  show  a  course  of  pubhc  service,  continued  through  many 
years,  \u  times  often  of  dilllculty  and  of  peril,  and  coniuM'tcd 
with  the  gj-eatest  (piestions  which  have  arisen  under  the  nd- 
inisti'ation  of  our  com])lex  form  of  government.      The  annals 


ramn 


I  —  ■ j~- ■  ■  ^ 

of  oui"  history  fuinish  but  few  (\\aniples  o['  a  political  career 

80  siiecesslul,  united  with  a  private  life  so  pure  and  blameless. 

It  i'^  j-alher  our  imrjxtse  in  this  article,  coni'isely  and  rapidly, 


mtm- 


70 


James  Buchanan. 


[X 


(IV 


•i 


Pol 


to  cnuiiierato  the  public  .services  oi'  Mr.  Bucliaiiaii,  than  to  d. 
cuss  their  merit  or  vindicate  their  usefulness.     The  fit  pi 
formance  of  tlie  latter  task  Avill  fall  into  other  han«ls  after : 
shall  have  been  ^^[athered  to  his  fathers,  and  death  shall  lia 
opened  to  him   the   ])ortals  of  immortality.     The  p,:ssions 
the  hour,  and  ])rejudices  more  unreasoninj^"  than  j)assions,  iii 
j)revent  now,  and  for  years  to  come,  the  approval  by  a  P^J'tivarioiB 
of  his  countrymen  of  those  measures  of  his  Administration — tiv.merIcaT| 
approi)riate  peroration  of  his  long  life — Avhich  are  now  beii^ansiw 
enacted  into  history.  mgSafl 

James  Buchanan  was  born  in  Franklin  county,  Pennsylvaii'orB.Grel 
on  the  23d  day  of  April,  1791,  during  the  first  AdministratiiSteghej 
of  AVashington,  and  but  two  years  after  tiie   Constitution  •    ^^  ,1 
the  United  States  had  been  put  into  operation.      His  fatli^^aBill 
had  emigrated  from  Ireland  about  eight  years  before,  and  Lnptoli,  1 
mother  was  a  native  of  the  State  in  which  he  himself  Avas  ^""^^r^'i 
lie  was  educated  at  Dickinson  College,  Carlisle,  tlien  and  ni  gm^Bil 
a  liigldy  respectal)lc   institution  of  learning,  at  which  he  ^\  (rotfl|?on 
araduated  in  1S09,  at  the  age  of  18.      He  ciiose  the  professii'^**'*^^'" 
of  tiie  law,  and  entered  immediately  witli  ardor  and  zeal  njiggjij^es 
its  study  in  the  olHce  of  James  Hopkins,  at  Lancaster.     llDr«i*coi 
was  admitted   to  the   l)ar  in   1812,  at  tiie  age  of  21.      It  ^v  Jo^jJ^JjJ^^ 
not  long  before  his  great  talents,  his  thorough  ]n'ej)aration.  I'linAn's 
e\emj)lary  habits  and  fidelity  to  business,  attracted  attenti(iiiai^!||pof 
From  that  time  his  progress  was  rajud  and  sure,  and  but  j?^)^'*^  ^ 
few  years  elapsed  before  he  had  won  a  position  in  the  vli^ij^^'^,,, 
front   rank  of  his  profession.      It  Avas  at  this  period,  or  evitheFui'i 
earlier  that  he  formed  those  accurate,  methodical,  and  ordcijaii^^.' '*' 
liabits  .vhich  have  clung  to  him  through  life,  and  liave  ""I'Jj^iJaiial 
him  so  remarkable  an  exemi)lar  of  industry  and  })unctualitvAddi5ess< 
]\Ir.  Buchanan   continued  to  })ractice  law  for  about  20  yeaistonrot' 
and  long  before  he  retired  he  had  reaped  the  substantial  i'  Jenfpi^.l 
wai'd  of  an  ample  fortune  fairly  won  l)y  honest  labor.  dHiirboi 

[u    1814,  at  the  very  outset   of  his  career  at    the   bar.   1. School  L 
volunteered  as  a  private  soldier  in  a  company  raised  and  coi,^??^'^ 
manded  by  .luuge  Shii)pen,  ol   Jjancaster,  Aviiich  ^jroceeded  i^yery. 
once   to  Baltimori;   to  aid   in    the    delence  of  that  city,    tluactefroni 
threatened  by  the  British  forces  un-ler  General  Ros        Tl,lfi?JV 
seryu'i's  of   tlie  company  not   heing  needed,  it  was  disl)an(l( 
in  Baltimore,  and  Mr.  l>uchaniin  returned  to  his  home 
after  he  was  (dected  to  represent  Lancaster  county  in  tlie  Slaiwre  fa  m 
Legislature,  and  commenced  hei'e  that  long  civic  cai'eer  whii^' 
has   been  S(.'arcely   interrupted  fi'om    that    day   to   thi^.     iJiertites 
served  two  terms  in  the  Legislature,  and  IVom  the  very  bcgii  is  uied 

lis  bo6k 


^    ^ery  sub 

^"' ical  ilgn 


10  above 

i  to  perBi 
IdreM 


[X, 


POLITICAL  WORK. 


nv 


SECOND  EDITION  OF  CLUSKEY'S 

POLITICAL   TEXT-BOOK   OR  ENCYCLOPEDIA. 


By  M.  W.  CLUSKEY, 

Postmaster  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States. 


IT   CONTAINS, 


lan,  tlmii  to  d. 

Tlio  fit  ]i( 

•  liaiids  jit'tor 

loath  sliall  lia 

riie  p.-.ssioiis 

n  j)assi()ii8,  m 

ral  bv  a  ijorti     •      r.   x    -m  tr 

.    •    ,  •     •  ^  --anoTO  Party  Platforms. 

iniStriitloii—t.;k.merican  Ritual. 

;  are  now  bt-iiiftMas  Legislation  of  Congress. 

rnore  Gftary,    Stanton,    and  Walker's 

j>  _  ,         mgoral  Addresses. 

,  I  oilli.sylvaii:  ojg  Qj.g(,,^^   Douglas,  and  Collamcr's, 

Aflniiliistratl  i  St^hens  and  others  Roiwrtson  Kan- 

Constitutiori  •    .^  ,       ,.       ,  .,     ^^  xr 

H..  ,,  matenal  portion   of  the  Kansas  Ne- 
i«  ^at]>,8kaBill. 
before,  and  I  npton,  Topeka,  and  Leavenworth  Con- 

nself  was  b(ir'^'***^«- 

.1  1       UrittWiden,  Montgomery,  Senate,  and 

,  tlion  and  iMgiigi^ Bills. 

wllich    lie  \\  irote§on  the  same  in  each  House. 

-  tlie  ])]-ol'(_'s,'^ii'®*^»  •^*^'"y  *^"""  *^^^^"*'^'''  appertaining 
,  .,,,  1  ,       1  thenmu,  including  President  Pierce's 

and  zeal  u].,3^,i^i.Message.) 
janeaster.     JlDred  Bcott  case. 


of  21.      it  W'^**'*'*^*"*'^'!  •^f*^'®  Ui^i*^^  States. 

rpivn-.tlnn    1  lea  of  Confederation. 

ICpai  .ition,  l-iinglon's  Fiirowell  Address. 

[•ted  attentldiiandW  of  1784  and  1787. 

ire,  and  but  ^'^'••**'^  ^^^'^^^^'^'^y  ^'^^o^u^-i'-'^sof  1798 

fl  d 'tS. 

)n  in  tlie  viNj^^yr^  ru>port  in  favor  of  a  Distribution 
eriod,  or  evi  theFublic  Lands,  and  able  documents 
id,  and  ordiii^iMtiit,  with  a  full  history  of  the  same. 

iiwl  li.i\-o  ,,,„,;<ieBl Pierce's  Veto  of  the  Indigent  In- 
i  HI  na\C  lii,u,j^  j^^j  g.jj 

<1  puiR'tualltyAdd^ss  of  Mr.  Faulkner  on  the  subject. 
>01lt    20  veill'StMf  of  Railroad  Grants  by  Congress, 
^nlxf'intl'il  V  •'^  ™®  "^'"tt's  tlicii'on. 
,  aeHtPierce  s  Message  vetoing  the  Rr,  9,. 

U)or.  dHMborBill. 

the    bar,    l.Schiwl  Land  Bill,  and  votes  thereon. 

ised  and  eoi  O^y^e"  ^''^'''^'  T'""*!-- 

1     ,   acM  .from  fepceches    tor    and    against 
l)roceede(l;ive,^. 

at    city,    till  acttlrom  Speeches  of  noted  Republicans 
1   lly)/        'J']  d  Abolitionists. 

1-   ,        1  Toombs'  Boston  Lecture  on  Slavery. 
NIKS  disbandt  ^ 

],„,,,        ^     reryiubject  is  fully  treated,  and  cverv  yoto  in  Congress,  on  any  subject  having  a 
iiuiiit.      Y*' "ical  llgnilicancc,  is  given. 
V  111  the  St;ily)re  ii  not  a  single  political  question  upon  which  this  book  does  not  fully  post  the 

career  wiiii^^f* 

,       4 1  I         II  ha^iecoived  the  commendation  of  the  entire  political  press  of  the  United  States,  and 

iiiu  .      11  jg  g^giesnieu  of  the  country, 
e  very  bcgll.  is  UMd  in  nearly  all  tlie  discussions  in  Congress  as  a  bonk  of  ready  reference. 
lis  bo6k  posts  up  tlu!  public  speaker  on  the  Kan*w  and  other  questions. 

TKRAIS  I  Nliiffle  copy,  $3-Club  of  Six,  $  10. 
10  above  terms  inclmle  the  p(i8tiiv;e,     Lihenil  deductions  to  the  trade,  and  a  fair  allow- 
:  to  persons  who  interest  tliemsclvcs  in  obtaining  subficiibers. 
idrea  JAMKS  n.  SMITH  &  CO., 

No.  610  Chcbtnut  street,  Philadelphia. 


AMOXa    OTHER  THINGS 

Messrs.  Fremont  and  Buchanan's  Letters  of 

Acceptance. 
Messrs.  Buchanan  and  Williams'  Letters  on 

the  Bargain  and  Intrigue  Charge. 
Mr.  Calhoun's  Fort  Hill  Address. 
President    Jackson's    Proclamation    against 

Nullification. 
The  Maysville  Road  Veto. 
A  History  of  Party  Conventions. 
Report  of  Mr.  Davis,  of  South  Carolina,  on 

the  Political  Power  of  the  Supreme  Court. 
Mr.   Bucliauan's  Minority  Report  on    same 

subject. 
Governor  Wise  ami    Mr.  Caruthers'    Letters 

against  the    American  Organization,  and 

the  Hon,   A.  H.   Stuart's  Letters,  signed 

"  Matli.son,"  d^fi-nding  it. 
Kenneth  Rayner's  Speech   at  Philadelphia, 

in    Nov.,    1856,   and  in  North  Carolina 

in  ls;j2. 
A  Hlii'tory  of^  with  the  votes  on  the  various 

Tariffs. 
A  History  of  tho  United  States  Bank    and 

Abolition  Petitions 
Mr.    FlUmord's    Albany   Speech    and    Erie 

Gayle  liCtters. 
History  of  tlie  Annexation  of  Texas. 
Opinions  of  public  men  on  the  power  of  Con- 
gress over  the  Territories. 
The  Nicholson  Letter. 

The  Nashville  Convention  and  Georgia  Plat- 
forms. 
Missouri  Compromise,  with  every  vote  tlierc- 

on  sectionally  classified. 
rpj^NCom promise  Measures  of  1850. 
Clayton  Compromise. 
Wllmot  P.oviso. 
Tlie  expenditures  of  the  Government,  with 

the  beat  speeches  on  both  sidos   of    the 

pr''Si'iit  issue  with  reference  to  the  same. 
Witli  many  other  things    too  numerous  to 

numtion. 


■MMMPNM 


irt>"< 


"nil -^-imamt 


J 


"EaUAXi  AND  EXACT  JUSTICE  TO  ALL  MEN  OF  WHATEVER  STATE  OR  PERSUASION, 
RELIGIOUS  OR  POLITICAL."— Thomas  Jejferton. 


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On  the  17th  day  of  September  ultimo,  a  day  consecrated  in  the  hearts  of  all  lovers 
of  their  country  as  commemorative  of  that  on  which  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
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